“How can you judge if an ad is good?” was the question David Droga was once asked by a global client. Now, 25 years later, his deliberately convoluted response has resurfaced at a potentially important moment for the advertising industry to consider.
A video of a younger Droga reemerged this month, courtesy of online learning platform 42courses. It sees the now Accenture Song CEOI and revered creative chief outlining a mathematical formula for what makes a good advert.
At the time, he was chief creative officer of Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore and regional creative director of S&S Asia.
The video has reemerged as major advertising holding companies and marketers are becoming more focused on the use of technology, with data and artificial intelligence services being introduced. This has made many nervous about the potential lack of human creativity.
“Back when our industry was less complicated and my hair a lot thicker. It was in response to a request from one of our largest global clients to our entire worldwide creative board,” Droga explained to ADWEEK.
“Their intentions were positive and they wanted to learn. I realized they were hoping for a somewhat templated response they could industrialize,” he added before issuing the tongue-in-cheek response.
With the use of a blank flip chart and a marker pen, the now-retro five-and-a-half-minute film sees Droga outline a corporate-style formula that would inspire mediocrity if it became a standardized industry process.
“Be a human, with an opinion, ambition and taste. Creativity cannot be all science and dissection,” was the desired message he hoped the client would take away.
