Paul tells us why an advert that's not working is similar to Formula 1.
It’s the feeling you get when you’re presented with a new piece of Creative, and you can see how the brief’s been interpreted… you can follow the logic of the idea and its execution…it matches up with everything you asked for, but it just ain’t right – and you don’t know why.
It takes a particular skill to recognise when an ad isn’t working to its full potential, and a whole other level of experience to understand why.
I’d compare the process to setting up a Formula One car for a specific circuit and weather conditions.
The driver wants the car to handle in a particular way, and perform competitively in race conditions – in the same way a client wants his ad to excel in cut-through, clarity, communicate brand values and achieve recognition in a busy and competitive marketplace.
The ‘natural’ driver can, in a few short laps, get a full understanding of where a car’s problems lie, and crucially tell his race engineers exactly what to do to remedy them. Even in a paddock full of the world’s very best drivers, this is a rare commodity.
The rest of the pack have to rely on their observations, data, and their ability to communicate specific symptoms to a team of mechanics who can then interpret them and make the necessary adjustments to the car.
Both approaches can put you in a position to win – you just have to know what kind of driver (or client) you are, and how much you trust the mechanics (or creatives) to deliver the vehicle that will take you to the chequered flag.
Having the humility to admit that you can’t understand why an idea isn’t working isn’t a weakness – but recognising it, and being prepared to talk to your creative team and change your approach to one that gives everyone confidence, is a real strength.
