How to Say 'No' to Mediocre Creativity

Like so many other companies, AB InBev was forced to reset its marketing strategy in 2020. The company went back to its storytelling roots with an emphasis on human needs and desires. Richard Oppy, vice president of global brands at AB InBev, took to the virtual stage at Adweek’s fourth annual Elevate: Experiential and Creativity Event to discuss pushing the envelope in experiential and creativity and why saying no to "mediocre creativity" is a must. ‘Without creativity, there is no progress’ Creativity plays a key role in advertising, but its purpose is actually much deeper than that, according to Oppy. “Without creativity, there is no progress,” he said. “For brands to grow and progress, we need to be creative and innovative when we’re solving people’s problems. Just like humankind, if we didn’t innovate and come up with creative solutions like medicine, vaccines, housing, clothes, etc., we wouldn’t be living the life that we are today.” In today’s world of endless options, it’s becoming harder and harder for advertisers to cut through the clutter—that’s where creativity comes in. “People are not thinking about brands on a daily basis," he said. "So, when people are open to your message, you have to break through that window with creativity and with consistency. We need to break through with ideas that are relevant and ideas that people actually care about.” Saying ‘no’ to mediocre creativity Oppy says it’s important for brands to understand the importance of having the confidence to say "no" to mediocre creativity and becoming comfortable asking for bold ideas. “We often judge work on the four Cs: clear, cut-through, compelling and consistent. But, internally, we talk about the fifth C, which is cultural voltage,” he explained. “Does the idea have cultural voltage? Will people want to share it with their friends? Does it have the potential to spark a big conversation? Push for great ideas and great creativity and make sure it’s going to cut through.” Looking for the ‘diamond in the rough’ To stand out from the crowd and impact consumers’ minds, Oppy says to think of creativity like diamonds. “If diamonds were easy to find, they would not be valuable. But, they’re not easy to find, and that’s what makes them so valuable," Oppy said. "It’s no different from finding great ideas. It’s not easy to find great ideas, and that’s why they’re so valuable.” Oppy says that one of his favorite creative ideas in the past year is a Budweiser campaign after Lionel Messi broke the record for the most goals scored for one club—Barcelona. He says his team took an idea and nurtured it until it became something spectacular. “They came up with an idea to create a custom Budweiser bottle for every one of the 644 goals that Messi scored for Barcelona. This is an example of a 'diamond in the rough'—we knew it had potential, but it needed polishing and nurturing. When It Comes to Patriotism, Why Does Budweiser Keep Trying to Outdo Itself?

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How to Say 'No' to Mediocre Creativity

AB InBev judges work using the four 'Cs'

‘Without creativity, there is no progress’

Alexandra Bower

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Alexandra Bower