Cannes 2012: No waste to 'waste'

The last session of the first day of the 59th International Festival of Creativity saw Morihiro Harano, creative director, founder and CEO, PARTY emphasise how creative agencies need to change the approach for handling creative briefs and create innovative solutions.

At the last session of Day One at the 59th International Festival of Creativity, Morihiro Harano, creative director, founder and chief executive officer, PARTY focussed on how it is about time that creative agencies handled client briefs with a different approach and invented innovative solutions.

Harano said, "The first thing that creative agencies need to do is stop making crap for crap. At many client briefs, there are times when the client asks for the same thing again and again. So rather than appreciating their guidelines and therefore creating only a television commercial and a press campaign, agencies should create out-of-the box solutions. Agencies should focus on turning creative power into a great story."

He cited the example of technology giant Apple and how the company did not use advertising after it launched iPad. The product first gained popularity through social media such as Facebook and Twitter and it was much later that Apple launched its first television commercial for iPad.

He also talked about how advertising agencies need to 'search in the right place and not in the bright place'. "When it comes to providing a creative solution, agencies mostly use familiar platforms such as television, press and out of home, rather than looking for new avenues to create a richer experience." He gave the example of how PARTY turned applying for a credit card (EPSOS) into a joyful experience. The agency designed 100 credit cards and consumers were allowed to select a design of their own preference. The credit cards were later delivered in various designs selected by the consumers.

His next topic of discussion was 'Where are the opportunities?'.

Harano explained that agencies should use the new technology such as GPS and apps to create better solutions. He provided the example of 'ToyToyata', a backseat driver app, which allows the virtual car to move right along the real car.

He then cited the example of the music industry. Harano said, "With the entry of MP3, downloads and social media, the ecosystem of the music industry has changed over the years. So agencies need to understand the change the globe is going through, thanks to technology."

He later cited the example of the app 'Wall', a digital shop which allows people to own a shop, decorate it with their favourite clothes and also sell their clothes.

Towards the end, he discussed how to bring in the changes. Harano presented the case of DDB as the agency which invented the designation of copywriter and art director. "While at PARTY we used the designations creative director and art director. It is time for agencies to create a new creative process," he remarked.

At added that rather than just make a presentation, agencies should focus to create a prototype which would help provide a glimpse of the real work that the agency intends to do for the client and aid to build trust.