According to Alexander Wipf, Head of Strategy at Leo Burnett Frankfurt, when you write ‘is strategy the new creative?’ in a headline it attracts attention and sparks conversation. So we gave it a try. How’s it working so far?
The strategist is responding to PSFK/Redscout’s SPUR, a 5-part video series we introduced yesterday via an interview with Redscout managing director Alain Slyvain, who is spearheading the series with PSFK.
“But what does this really mean,” asks Wipf. “I believe a headline like this is a great eyecatcher. But really, it is written that way to make you look. Strategy is not the new creative. It’s simply that the definition of strategy and creative and how both have to work together has changed.”
Well, that’s still unclear. It seems like no one, not even a strategy leader at one of the world’s most widely recognized agencies, Leo Burnett. But, if one thing is certain for Wipf, it’s that strategy is key to maximizing the creative effect.
“In a communications landscape where marketers have begun understanding that people aren’t interested in your messages obviously the old form of creative product, i.e. the delivery of ads, is losing importance,” he writes. “Or, at a minimum, ads need to be complemented with different creative products that provide context-relevant experiences, content and participatory elements alongside before they can be effective again.”
We can’t adequately piece together Wipf’s article, so we recommend you take a look at it in full, here.
Image
More: “Account Planning Breakdown with Redscout’s Alain Sylvain”