Creativity in Digital Advertising: If you stand out, you win.

Are you throwing money out the window?

Let’s take a look at an example of a company that doesn’t pay much attention to creativity and the visuals. They create a not-so-original campaign that blends in with other advertising messages, and people simply overlook it. Yet the company invests large sums in promoting it. It’s clear that the results don’t match the investment. 

What does the company do? They change the ad settings, targeting, and channels. Still nothing. The visuals are swapped – equally uninspiring, and they start over. The result remains the same. With a creative-strategic eye, just one glance at the used visuals is enough to spot what’s wrong. Make sure you’re not making the same mistake.

A Successful Ad Starts with a Thought-through Strategy

Scrolling is the enemy number one. That’s why the first goal of visuals is to stop the fast-moving thumb. The visual needs to capture attention. If you don’t make the visual interesting, no one will even notice it. So, how to do it?

The advertising legend Howard Gossage once said: “No one reads ads. People read what interests them. Sometimes it’s an ad.” So, the key is to find out what your audience finds interesting. That’s why the best friend of a successful creative is a well-set and thought-out strategy. This way, you’ll have a chance to not only grab their attention but also inspire them to take action – whether it’s clicking, sharing, or making a purchase.

A resonating ad is created when you know your customers perfectly. IKEA knows how things work in families with young children. 
Agency: DAVID Madrid and INGO Hamburg

Do you know your target audience? Now’s the time for insights

Do you know who your potential customers are? What interests them? Or what their problems are? What’s their journey to the product? What’s their life like without it? And why should they want it? With these insights, you can uncover the truth about the consumer and their relationship with the product or brand. It’s a unique perspective that’s obvious in hindsight but doesn’t come to you immediately.

A great example of good insight can be seen in the iconic Old Spice commercial. The advertising agency Wieden & Kennedy discovered that 60% of men’s shower gels were bought by women. And that men are happy to use women’s products. That’s the fact. What insight does it lead to? Men don’t smell like men.

The key message in the video: Unfortunately, your man isn’t me. But if he stopped using women’s scented body lotion and switched to Old Spice, he could smell like me. 
Agency: Wieden & Kennedy

Do you have your insight based on a strategy and good knowledge of your audience? Now comes the creativity and visuals.

When do visuals work?

• When it surprises or sparks curiosity. Didn’t expect that plot twist? Boom! Now you remember the ad.
• When it evokes emotions. Laughter, nostalgia, tears – anything that stirs the user.
• When it’s simple. The best ads are so simple that you wonder, why didn’t I think of that?
• When it’s shareable. If people send the ad to each other, you’ve won. But for that, it needs to be a real masterpiece. :) 

Creative execution helps with all of this – whether it’s the visual, the text, or the concept that speaks to the user.

This ad relies on tension and humor. Users tend to watch the entire ad to the end. 
Agency: Proficio for ALPHALABS

When do the visuals fail?

• When they’re not based on strategy and insights. If you don’t know your target audience and don’t speak to them, everything becomes random.
• When they’re flat. Clichés don’t work. A classic example of a flat ad in Czech advertising is a claim starting with More than just… or When (product), then (brand). Even a claim like 20 % off everything won’t excite anyone. Ads promoting discounts can work only in the Conversion phase, when users are almost convinced to buy and just waiting for the prompt.
• When they’re overcomplicated. Too many messages, too much of everything is never a good choice.
• When you speak to the wrong audience, or to your audience in the wrong language. If you speak to Gen Z in a formal tone, you won’t get very far.

Originality supports memorability

If your message doesn’t differ from your competitors’, how will customers remember you? A creative approach to advertising allows you to stand out not only visually but also in terms of the message, tone of communication, and overall strategy.

Standing out from the competition is key to memorability. For OPOP, we created a mascot that doesn’t get lost in the flood of other advertising messages. 
Agency: Proficio

A vague ad full of clichés, like a generic photo and dull phrases, won’t convince anyone. On the other hand, an original concept that surprises or makes you laugh will stay in your mind long after viewing.

Creativity – Emotions – Relationship

People aren’t just interested in products or services. They care about stories, values, and the feeling that they can relate to the brand. Creative ads have the ability to convey emotions that stay in memory and build a relationship with the brand.

Moreover, it’s proven that emotional ads perform much better than rational ones. Emotional stimuli are more strongly encoded in the brain and influence us without us even realizing it. Therefore, emotion-based campaigns are not only more memorable but also have a greater impact on consumer behavior.

Emotions do work in advertising. An example is the “No Blood Should Hold Us Back” ad, which is based on them. 
Agency: DIEGO & CAIO for Libresse.

An ad needs to be well-thought-out and aimed at the needs of your audience. Try to recall iconic campaigns like Nike’s “Just Do It.” It’s not just about promoting sportswear – it’s about motivation, pushing limits, and personal victory.

Creativity is a necessity, not a luxury

Creativity in advertising isn’t just about making things look visually good. It’s about achieving results – better visibility, memorability, and – of course – sales. And that’s what clients pay us for. If companies don’t understand how crucial an investment in a quality creative concept is, they will keep treading water and unnecessarily miss opportunities.

You don’t want an ad that’s just good. You want an ad that stands out and doesn’t get lost in the depths of the digital world. What do you think – is your ad creative enough, or is it just filling space? If you have any doubts, we’re happy to help you with it.

I want to get creative