"Brands: Get ahead of a problem that matters to consumers" - Pete Khoury

By infiltrating popular culture, Joburg Ballet became part of that culture. They are being spoken about in conversations they had never previously dreamed of. They have attracted a brand new audience, by taking ballet where it has never been before.

All this, whilst still staying true to the ballet art form and telling stories through dance.

The big difference this time is that these ballets lived on the platforms that their younger audience engages with, and not on a stage. And they were about the stories that everyone was interested in and not a traditional ballet story.

The campaign is 100% shaped by real-time data mined from social media. This is then artistically reinterpreted as a brand new ballet. This data also shapes the short film, in terms of mood, location, cinematography, and art direction.

The series has responded to a range of topics, from social issues such as gun control, LGBTQI+ rights in Africa, women abuse, and the Cape Town drought, to sport and blockbuster films such as Black Panther.

Our work for Student Flights leverages the creative organising principle, ‘Travel before it’s not fun anymore’, which we have nurtured for them over the years.

These particular radio commercials imagine a futuristic world. It's a world that is so highly regulated, legislated, and politically correct that doing even the simplest things, which we take for granted today, have become incredibly complicated and devoid of fun.

The commercials conclude with a message from Flight Centre Youth & Adventure, reminding young people to travel now, before it's not fun anymore.

We all want to create campaign ideas that live for a long period of time, that many different creatives can add onto, whilst still keeping integrity and remaining relevant.

The Entertainment Lions celebrates creativity that turns content into culture: Work that captivates in order to cut through, or communicates a brand message, or connects with consumers in a new way.

In the future, I believe that the 30” TV ad will still exist, but everything else will be some form of branded content.

The successful brands will be the ones who find fresh ways to create content that draws people in rather than creating ads that interrupt an experience.

This way of producing content provides endless opportunities to remain relevant, current, and appropriate because the channel and purpose is forever changing with culture.

In this hyper-connected society, consumers have access to brands at every touch point so consistent brand behaviour is needed.

This category of communication is in its infant stages and the future is filled with opportunity.

Marc Pritchard, chief brand officer at Procter & Gamble or P&G – the world’s biggest ad spender, as well as a speaker at Cannes Lions 2018 – summed up the marketers’ concerns at the moment:

…I would say the biggest trend is mass disruption and the need to completely reinvent how we build our brands… Seventy percent of consumers say ads are annoying, and they don’t believe what ads say. Retail is being disrupted by e-commerce, direct to consumer start-ups are attacking every big company, as well as retailers…

Cannes Lions 2018 Entertainment jury president, Debbi Vandeven, says:

I think the industry is blurry. You used to know exactly who your competitor set was, and now I would say you have no idea. The competition is absolutely everywhere – clients are bringing stuff in-house, publishing companies have their own staff, directors are taking a lot direct to client.

It can be really exciting to be able to do a lot of different things, but at the same time, really challenging for clients too, because they aren’t exactly sure where they should be spending their money. It gets confusing in the market – how do they reach consumers? It can be very exciting for an agency that wants to do a lot of different things, it can also be challenging for an agency that hasn’t evolved to do a lot of different things.

We are in uncharted territory here, and the brands that are experimental, human, and have an iterative way of working are seeing the results.

Brands in the 21st century must try to pick a lane, to have a point of view, and must try to get ahead of a problem that matters to their consumers. Their ethics can become currency. Many brands need to find their distinctive voice, and then create compelling, relevant content that draws people in for more.

Seems we’re in for a real creative smorgasbord as we head into the final half of the year. Check in on our Loeries Creative Week special section and be sure to follow Khoury, TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris and the Creative Circle on Twitter for the latest updates.