Chairman & chief creative officer of BBDO India, Josy Paul, talks about his idea of advertising, and why he hates the word 'creativity'.
The brain behind Ariel's Dads#ShareTheLoad and Mirinda's #ReleaseThePressure campaigns believes the job of an advertiser is to help the audience make the right decisions.
"These days brands have such a huge reach that they have the power to trigger social change, then why not use it that way," asks Paul.
He feels, with advertisements and other content, brands have the resources to make the change and create a difference. Ironically, despite being one of the most creative minds in the country, he hates the word creativity. "I feel uneasy when people call me creative. It puts me in a box, and forces me to act in a certain 'creative' way only. But there's so much more to how brands communicate with the world. There's empathy and compassion and human response. Creativity is so much more than just what goes into making an ad…it's helping brands find their greater purpose." he says.
The Human Connect
Paul believes the key to a successful campaign is one that resonates with the audience. While his campaigns might not always provide immediate remedy to the depicted problem, the ads make the audience feel that they are not alone in it. "Our objective is to create brand platforms that can help bring positive changes that society hasn't really thought about. For example, the platform Dads#ShareTheLoad for Ariel. Everyone was talking about gender equality at work, but no one was talking about gender equality at home. That was being ignored. Our work raised this invisible social issue even as it put the brand story at the centre of the communication." Paul adds.
The one thing that's common in all his ad campaigns is that they all take people to a better place. As Paul puts it, "Brands can play a useful role in society. Even as they sell products and services, they can point to a more positive world that everyone wants to be a part of."
He believes brands can resolve conflicts. All his campaigns come from the soul of the brand. For him, the challenge is to strike the right connection with what the brand stands for and where the audience is going.
More To Brands Than Sales
With changing times, brands are evolving too. Brands want to stay relevant not by just selling their products but also by seeking a position in society where they become even more relevant. "You are offering people a little more than what's manufactured in the factory." says Paul
"You help brands do more than just sell products…you help them occupy a better place" says Paul. He wants to channelise the resources at BBDO and the brands he is working for, to contribute to society.
"There is a sense that brands can do a little more. Brands can make a useful change. At BBDO India our work takes people to a better more progressive place. Take our more recent campaign for Visa #KindnessIsCashless. It was a simple way of telling everyone struggling with the changing technology in India that they are not alone, there is always someone there to help them. As I said, sometimes people are not looking for answers, but just a shoulder," he concludes.
