Great ads become part of our culture

Many years ago, I was hanging out with a group of friends after a soccer game, when one of them mentioned the word "globología." Globología (balloonology in English) is the art of making balloon animals. I know, this term doesn’t exist in English. It actually doesn’t exist in Spanish, either. It’s a word a copywriter made up for a TV spot. This confirmed for me long ago that when an ad is great, people notice and like to talk about it.

Years later, I found myself in a similar situation. McCann Melbourne had launched the Dumb Ways to Die campaign in Australia. Everyone in the industry was praising it, which didn't surprise me. What did surprise me was hearing my kids and their cousins singing the jingle. We were on vacation with the whole family, and that tune became the soundtrack for four consecutive days. Ironically, after almost a week of listening to the song non stop, I wanted to jump in front of a train.

Dumb Ways to Die was a phenomenal campaign. It started as a public service announcement (PSA) and became a franchise. It’s also the world’s most shared PSA and the most awarded campaign in the history of Cannes (5 Grand Prix and 28 Lions). But the point is, the kids didn't know or care about any of that, they just thought the song was great and wanted to share it. Over a decade later, and they still sing it on occasion.

The debate about whether good creativity sells, or is merely a whim of creatives, has become a cliché in our industry, and I don't understand why. It's true that an idea not aligned with a brief or brand tone should never find a place in an ad campaign (or award festival). Yet, the opposite is also true. When an ad nails what it's supposed to say, maintains the right tone, and is insightful and original, it stands out immediately. People want to share it with each other. And in the best cases, some memorable ads actually become part of our culture.