Fig. 1.4.).
Fig. 1.4. The key visual for promotion of silent stairs.
What is the ideal product in this case? The staircase which is absent but yet the opportunity to rise to the upper level is still provided. We divided the sheet of paper into two parts. On the left one we depicted a dog walking up the stairs. The subtitle at the bottom said: “It’s how our staircase looks”.
On the right one was the same picture but without stairs. It turned out that the Rottweiler was flying in the air. The headline was: “It’s how our staircase sounds” (see Fig. 1.5.). This idea increased sales silently for more than six years.
With kind permission of MasterUm, Moscow, Russia
Fig. 1.5. The silence instead of creak. Our noiseless staircases neither squeak, nor complain.
By the way, the creators of the historical-revolutionary film Mother had to solve an even more sophisticated creative problem back in 1926. What would you do in order to show silence in the silent movie? The film director Vsevolod Pudovkin found the amazing solution.
In the frame he showed how drops of water from the washstand were falling slowly and rhythmically. One was falling after another. One kept falling after another. In reality, the sound of the drops can be heard only when all sounds around are frozen. It was one of the best episodes in the movie.
Let’s go on. Suppose that we advertise a super-reliable door lock. What is the ideal product in this case? There is no lock at all, but it is absolutely impossible to get inside the house. Because the door is no different from the brick wall (see Fig. 1.6.).
With kind permission of Guthan Suthiphongchai and Weerawat Weerawatanakorn
(Lowe Bangkok, Thailand)
Fig. 1.6. Transition to the limit leaves no room for shy thinking.
How to introduce wireless services? Once again let’s return to the sight of the ideal product. There are no wires, but they honestly and rigorously implement their “function” (see Fig. 1.7.).
The idea of DDB Mudra Group, Mumbai, India, redrawn by Juriy Gerasimov
Fig. 1.7. Perfect electric wires are absent but fulfill faithfully their function.
As you can see, strong creative solutions may not be in adding something to a picture, an idea or product, but in the opposite approach. The disappearance of the familiar and the expected object attracts our attention, captivates, fascinates the viewer (see Fig. 1.8.).
With kind permission of Annie Chiu and Anna Echiverri, New York, the United States
Fig. 1.8. Guerilla advertising of sports shoes.
Try to subtract an important part. The one that used to be considered a significant and indispensable thing. Perhaps a wonderful discovery awaits you there. Much more often than it is generally thought, creativity is about reduction, subtraction, the abandonment of superfluous and unnecessary parts.
Much more often than it is generally thought, creativity is about reduction, subtraction, the abandonment of superfluous and unnecessary parts.
Take a look at the next image (see Fig. 1.9.).
Do you know what it is?
An annual meeting of single, good looking, straight, emotionally-stable, financially-secure, intelligent men looking for a long-term commitment.
Drawn by Juriy Gerasimov
Fig. 1.9. The ideal man has just one shortcoming—he doesn’t exist.
Many years ago, this picture became the trigger for me that shot out with the idea of a TV commercial for the Coca-Cola company. Here is its script. It’s early morning. The sea. Sandy beach. We hear the cries of seagulls and the sound of waves. Opened red umbrella branded with white logo of the famous drink.
We watch the picture from the height of bird flight.
The first guest comes under the umbrella and orders a glass of fizzy drink. Of course, we do not see him from the top but it is easy to guess what is happening. The second man is coming to the shed from another side. Then a couple of teenagers arrive from the third direction.
Try to subtract an important part. The one that used to be considered a significant and indispensable thing. Perhaps a wonderful discovery awaits you there.
The sun rises higher. We can realize this by noticing the rapidly diminishing shadow cast by the umbrella. The air temperature is clearly rising. The beach is becoming more and more crowded. The number of those who come under the umbrella from different directions to cool off during a hot, summer day multiplies dramatically.
It’s nothing special, is it?
Now imagine that the situation described happens, but people are not displayed. Instead, we draw the feet traces left in the sand (see Fig. 1.10.).
The idea of MasterUm, Moscow, Russia, drawn by Juriy Gerasimov
Fig. 1.10. The final shot of the author’s TV commercial for the world’s largest beverage company.
We see only the branded umbrella under which only the path of the traces of bare feet. Then there is another path. Then two more footprints appear on the sand surface. The action goes on until the moment when the whole area around the tent becomes covered by traces of human feet.
Chapter 2
Divide et impera
“An elephant consists of a trunk, ears and a hippo.”
Life observation
In 1936 one Parisian atelier—a fancy workshop—mailed templates of fashionable hats in its shop to Athens. The manager of the atelier feared (not without a reason) that their competitors would copy templates at the very period of the delivery. How to protect the patterns from copying?
Here is another situation. Just recently one of our bank clients wanted to advertise loans to individuals secured by the cost of client’s personal car (logbook loans). The main benefit of this proposal was that the client continued to use his car after the loan. The car did not need to be left at the disposal of the bank, as is usually required.
All
