We are the ones who weave that story

Long ago, when I first started working in advertising, I was trained in every aspect of agency work. Sales, production, media, creative. I requested the creative department and was accepted. I had no formal training, and above all, it was the most appealing.

My first boss told me, "We're in the business of providing solutions." That solution is what we call "creative." But I soon realized "creative" had become an afterthought. Data, tools, and technology became the center of discussions. Creativity seemed to have transformed into complex rocket science.

Tools now dictate precisely when, where, and how many times to run that commercial, and the optimal duration. They even help us create buzz using paid media. Yet, when I mention this topic to friends outside the industry, they just look bored and confused (is the buzz really spreading?). This phenomenon didn't exist a few years ago. Everything flowed more naturally then. People remembered ads and talked about them.

We've completely forgotten why we wanted this job in the first place. What made working in creative so appealing was that we were storytellers. We wove captivating tales. Believable stories, fantastical stories, unimaginable stories.

Brands succeeding globally still tell the same stories, constantly renewed with fresh perspectives. They never become monotonous. They never bore. They always hold freshness and surprise. To me, that is the essence of "creative." That story remains unchanged, even as the Chief Creative Officer or Chief Marketing Officer in charge changes.

Tools might tell us where and how often to tell a brand's story for optimal impact. But there's something they can't do. They can't tell us how to write that story, how to make it more compelling, more dramatic. So if you want to remain a storyteller, you can't let the computer take over. You can't let your imagination be stifled. Only you and I can tell the stories that build brands. That's why we fell in love with advertising in the first place.

Right?

(Supervised by: Dentsu Inc. Global Business Center)

Photo by the author. My beloved son, Anay