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GRAHAM DAY HEAD OF AMPLIFICATION, AMPLIFY We’re an agency which prides itself on creativity – but it isn’t about ‘thinking outside the box’ or creating something cool for the sake of it. It needs to be bespoke, deliver on the brief and produce results. We really value having a network of individuals from different backgrounds internally and externally, which goes towards creating the most diverse campaigns – whether social-, event-, design- or brand-led. For us, the narrative behind any
campaign has to be supported by the creative. Increasingly, as consumers have less time, you need to make an impact in a split second. The look, feel, messaging and overall campaign all need to deliver impact, from the smallest detail on a flyer to the biggest event space. As long as the creative is strong, it should deliver.
SIMON MAIER MANAGING DIRECTOR, TFI GROUP
Creativity does not even have to be complex – sometimes simple ideas can make the connection. The context for creativity, in terms of what will work, is different with every event. HP [Hewlett-Packard], for example, some time ago published their philosophy for fostering creativity: ‘You can change the world. Share. Invent different ways of working. Believe that together we can do anything.’ The success of the philosophy was that the HP audience bought into it and became inspired. This was a simple message, but one which inspired people because it was the right style, at the right time, to connect with a defined audience – with different people, it wouldn’t have worked. The gift is in being able to develop the right solution for each different audience. I believe the word ‘creativity’ is overused – it is overemphasised as an end in itself, when the point that really matters, and makes for success in events, is what is effective. So for me, whatever it takes to
engage the audience is creativity brought to life, producing results. People can easily recognise creativity if something in an event is powerful, if it changes an opinion, dazzles with effects that have meaning, plays on emotions, entertains or helps define thinking – and engages an audience. It’s this last point that really is key.
COURTNEY ROGERS EVENT DIRECTOR, DIAMOND MARTINI ‘Creativity’ has a myriad of definitions and means something different to everyone, so it’s important to understand what the client understands to be ‘creative’ – often this will be something familiar that they recognise with a small twist, so ‘outside the box’ thinking isn’t always what is desired. Creativity is a greatly overused word – it should be natural, instinctive and not contrived. Simplicity is key – it could be deconstructing a usual event formula and delivering it in a different way, just like they do with food in Masterchef. Also, small touches really count. At a recent charity dinner, just as guests were having their after-dinner lull, tables were presented with beautifully wrapped boxes full of fancy dress items and musical instruments, which got them back into the party spirit. It’s these things that are remembered and make a difference to an event. It’s not always about reinventing the wheel – perhaps you just need to spin it in another direction.
KEVIN JACKSON VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, GEORGE P JOHNSON I think creativity has had a bum rap in the past. It doesn’t help that ‘creative’ has become a catch-all job title for anyone who works in the design team, and creativity is often seen as an innate ability, something you either have or you don’t. But for me, and especially in a business context, creativity is so much more – I don’t classify the creative people as the ones in the loud shirts and cool trainers. It’s about thinking differently –
having a spirit of invention and the willingness to be original. It really doesn’t matter where in a business you happen to sit – if you’re doing your best work, you’re being creative, whether you’re defining a new finance process or originating a new customer flow for an event. Aside from being an annoying cliché, I believe that the notion of ‘thinking outside the box’ is predicated on a misperception of what it is to be truly creative. Thinking outside the box is to ignore the specifics of what the client requires. Sure, you can come back with something mind-blowing, but it probably won’t answer the brief. As
CASE STUDY
Company: Sony Entertainment Network Agency: Amplify Event: Ibiza Tech Mecca Date: August 2012
Brief: Amplify was tasked with supporting Sony Entertainment Network’s objective of maintaining and building brand awareness for their online services, and delivering this across 12 different territories this summer.
How: The agency had to engage the audience in one entertainment destination, and give the brand a credible space to talk to consumers, media and attendees. The solution was Ibiza. “It’s a destination we knew was enticing, somewhere we knew we could create the ‘wow’ factor for the brand and deliver the awareness the brief asked for,” said Amplify’s Graham Day.
What occurred: To launch a range of Sony portable devices to staff, press and clients, Amplify hosted a nine-day partnership at Ushuaia Beach Hotel where guests sampled the services at their leisure on a range of Sony devices in five specially designed areas by the pool and in the beach bar. In addition, the agency hosted Brooklyn electro-diva Santigold for a personal performance at Es Vive Hotel.
Post-event verdict: Photo upload competitions were integrated into Playstation and Sony Mobile fan pages across Europe, securing 5,000 entries, with additional competitions in partnership with the press raising this to 10,000. Day says the morale and engagement of Sony staff were boosted greatly by the event.
Creative: Day says the event was a great example of creative thinking because the team applied their vast knowledge of potential destinations and pooled their ideas. “We also pride ourselves on being eclectic as a team, which meant entertainment ideas were put forward, allowing us to pick the most suitable,” he added.
much as it might pain the guys with the design degrees to admit it, we are here to do business, not make art. Anyone can bring bells and whistles to a project, and they might even win an award – but what they might not win is any repeat business, because they’re building a portfolio, not brands. True creativity delivers transformative experiences. It drives deeper relationships between brands and consumers. Most importantly, it encourages audiences to see the world differently – and that’s creative. ■
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