Creative Writing

2 3 New challenges, shorter attention spans, and elevated standards demand agencies to innovate and excel. Leila Katrib Creative director, VMLY&R Commerce MENA Author: Nga Pham ot stopping there, in 2020, Oreo responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing by launching the “Stay Home, Stay Playful” campaign in the UK, which promoted finding joy in small moments and connecting with loved ones virtually through a mix of emotional and humorous messages and playful visuals featuring the iconic cookie (see Figure 2). The campaign not only helped Oreo maintain its market share but also positioned the brand as a source of comfort and joy during a challenging time (Stein 2020). The campaign helped Oreo maintain its market share and positioned the brand as a source of comfort and joy during a challenging time, showcasing the continued importance of creativity in advertising for building strong brand recognition and engagement with consumers, and may lead to sustained market share growth in the future (Bounfantino 2022). remarkable advertising campaign is the foundation of every successful brand. From the daring campaigns of Nike to viral Old Spice TVCs, creative advertising has shown its vital role in building brand identity and attracting loyal customers. However, as the era of short attention spans and ever-increasing demand for originality takes hold, creative advertising can help attract high-demanding customers. Industry expert Jim Robbins, an executive creative director at TBWA\RAAD, has pointed out that the advertising industry is becoming saturated with formulae, which means originality through creativity needs to be delivered (Robbins n.d., cited in Serrano 2021). This raises the question can advertising still captivate and inspire viewers, or are we moving towards a time when creativity in advertising remains a thing of the past. The advertising industry is getting more creative, innovative, and captivating. An idea, whether it is adaptive ( building on existing concepts) or innovative (introducing new and unconventional ideas) is a showpiece that can stir emotions and serve as the foundation of creativity in advertising (Trusov 2020). While the goal of advertising is ultimately to drive sales and revenue, an emotional connection with consumers can make a brand more distinctive and identifiable in their minds (Fortuna 2019). By creating campaigns that are culturally relevant and emotionally resonant, creativity in advertising has the power to not only increase brand recall and achieve business objectives but also create public resonance and awareness (Basariya and Lakshmanan 2017; Belch MA and Belch GE 2013). Ultimately, creativity is the secret ingredient that sets a campaign apart and will remain a critical aspect of the industry’s future. Exploring the innovative marketing strategies of Oreo: A case study Oreo is a prime example that exemplifies the importance of creativity in maintaining brand relevance and engaging consumers, as seen through the continued adaptation of its iconic “Twist, Lick, Dunk” campaign into playful and innovative campaigns. With a foundation built upon the idea of happiness from the 1990s campaign, Oreo has reinforced its brand differentiation through various marketing initiatives, becoming an integral part of its identity and contributing to consumer engagement (Quartz n.d.). BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO OLD ‘CANVASES’ A hese approaches, derived from the original “Twist, Lick, Dunk” campaign, demonstrate how the advertising industry is getting more creative and highlights the continued importance of creativity in advertising as it plays a crucial role in building strong brand recognition and engagement with consumers, which may well translate into sustained market share growth in the years to come (Bounfantino 2022). T N T Figure 1: Oreo “Daily Twist” pride post. Figure 2: Oreo “Stay Home, Stay Playful” print advertising. he “Daily Twist” US campaign in 2012, for example, was incredibly successful in terms of engagement and brand recognition, with each twist designed to elicit joy, whimsy, and a sense of playfulness. Typically, brands respond to current events on social media if they are relevant; however, the “Daily Twist” was the first of its kind to do so consistently for 100 days, ultimately becoming a part of popular culture, resonating with a wide range of audiences and distincted itself from other brands on the market (Brands Vietnam 2014). The most notable among them is the Pride Oreo, a limited edition cookie with rainbow-colored creme created to commemorate Pride Month, which quickly gained popularity on social media and received praise for Oreo’s support of the LGBTQ+ community (see Figure 1) (WARC n.d). In just 100 days, the Daily Twist campaign generated 231 million media impressions and resulted in an increase in buzz and 4% base growth for the brand, which was a significant achievement considering the brand’s size and previous years’ performance (NBC’s Brand Power Index, cited in WARC n.d.).