Robert Sawatzky wrote an article for PR Week titled Dentsu creative director: Ill-conceived purpose campaigns are ruining the industry.
« As a juror at Cannes, Dentsu creative director Toshihiko Tanabe saw 16 of 21 Grand Prix awards given out to cause-related campaigns. »
« “What the hell does this have to do with the brief that we’re working on?” »
« The problem, Tanabe says, is that consumers can detect BS really easily, and superficial campaigns are at best easily ignored and at worst actively harmful to brands. »
« Moreover, he argued, only 12% of people could correctly match brands with their causes. Not enough of them have the necessary consistency in what they stand for. »
« But Tanabe pointed to two great purpose campaigns, Volvo’s E.V.A. campaign, which shared data to help other carmakers protect women in crashes, and Ikea’s ‘ThisAbles’ campaign which developed 3D-printable modifications to its furniture to make it more friendly for disabled customers. These campaigns worked, he argued, because Volvo has been known for safety innovations since the ’50s and Ikea in its very nature stands for the democratization of functional home furnishings for all. »
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