Everybody in the advertising world wants to stay on top of the latest in technology and media. We’re like better-dressed hipsters (some are just regular old hipsters), but we’re into making money.
In our own executions, we want to keep up with the other agency, the latest big campaign and the newest interactive style.
Even Twitter tracks what we’re all talking about: the “trending” topics. Whether it’s within Dallas, the United States or the world, trend is everything.
Yet in some weird, success-of-Transformers 3 paradox, trend is nothing. It’s less than nothing, in that being “in” can quickly become a hindrance.
The conundrum is that people who do their own thing set trends in motion. They have an idea first and act on it, leaving others to follow. Then it becomes “the way.” By this point, trendy people don’t want to fall behind. So they stay right on the heels of the trend-setter and everybody’s fairly satisfied. But in that role, the followers (all of us, most of the time) aren’t breaking any new ground or doing anything truly original.
So in good conscience, I can’t recommend following what’s out there or even delving too deeply into those trends. KIA wasn’t exactly following a lead by calling on hamsters, but they got the job done.
Possibly the best example of bucking the trend was achieved by (yes, I’m going to say it; it’s the only campaign anybody talks about, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to break that… *sigh* trend) Old Spice.
The folks at Wieden+Kennedy (WK) weren’t exactly following a set path by launching a massive YouTube campaign and eventually spending entire days answering questions live via video.
When somebody jokingly pitches a really crazy idea, by all means, laugh. But don’t just move on; there’s a good chance running with that idea is your best bet.
Stay current, but don’t let it hold you back. And most importantly, just be weird. It’s the only way to out-hip the hipsters.
Normally this is where you’d find a cheeky bio about our M/C/C Minute contributor, but this month’s guest likes to maintain an air of mystery. If you think you know who it is, leave a comment.