Don Draper and the French Revolution

When was the last time you went up to someone with an important plan in your mind? Do you remember the first sentence? You probably do, because it's crucial. And the same applies to your hairstyle, clothes and non-verbal communication. But what about brands?



If a brand wants to seduce people and build a long term loving customer relationship, or just have a quick one-night-shopping, there needs to be an opening sentence. In the 60s, it was the headline of a print ad, today it is a sponsored post on Facebook. Communication professionals tend to agree on one axiom: Mad Men ways of advertising don't work any more. Well, I have to say that some things seem to come back again and again in human history.

Of course the interconnection of brands and consumers is much more complex than before, and I agree that long term involvement is key to develop any brand. But at the same time, we should keep in mind that there has been and there will always be a first impression, and it will be made by something concise. Not only because we don't have time in our fast-paced over-digitalized lives, but also because we instinctively turn away from information that doesn't interest us.

Lets see three examples.

1. Photos with text (basic online memes)

The basic design format of online memes got so popular that their creation has been automatized, so there should be a pretty strong reason for its look. And I think we should search for this reason around headlines like "Carousel by Kodak" or, let's say, the French revolution. Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité is a quite well-spread meme. The tagline of the French revolution, symbolizing lots of democratic values and the history of human rights. It consists of 3 words. Quite similar to the length of a traditional tagline and of today's online memes.

Since mankind uses language to communicate, words are the simplest and most effective tools to sum up a story or a feeling, this does not sound too revolutionary a thought, I guess. Come up with three words, then combine your line with a picture and you are done. You can call the result a classic advertising poster from the 60's or the most modern online meme of the 21st century.

2. Video memes

Some say that consumers do not like 30 second ads anymore, but they are happy to follow stories and take part in a brand's activities for months, if they are properly entertained and listened to. I fully subscribe to this point of view, but I think we should make it clear that the two things doesn't have anything to do with each other. The main change about 30 second commercials is that they are not unavoidable anymore, so if consumers don't like them, they don't spread them. You simply have to come up with a better idea than before. On the other hand, you may have all the money on Earth and still be rejected by consumers.

TV commercials may be replaced by video memes, they might get longer, but the basics don't change. Let's take the most famous example, Gangnam Style: It is a 4 minute video but by 0.25 we hear the words "Gangnam Style", we see the singer, we feel the style and we can even get a taste of the famous dance move everybody has been laughing at for months.

3. Radio ads

Many young people listen to music on their smartphones when traveling. With improved geolocation, radio ads will be transmitted to your mobile so that you can hear them on time: "Hey, you can buy a new bike for half the price if you get off at the next stop!" It can be similar to traffic information breaks in your car radio, the only difference is that only those cars get the message who are on the given road. So, long live the radio ad, too.


What next?

Basic communication formats and the skills to create them will not change too much, because their decoding methods are deeply rooted in human nature. New technologies and platforms will be great to add more interaction and increase involvement opportunities for consumers, but only after brands made a first impression. Consequently, those companies that totally wipe out traditional advertising skills in order to focus on technology related skills will not succeed long term. But those integrating Don Draper's know-how with the latest digital media and tech expertise can come out as winners of the fierce fight in the communication sector.