21-12-12 Doomsday: An Opportunity for Creatives?

I created this blog a few weeks back and hadn't posted anything, even though I had all these ideas in my big head! Here goes my first post anyway. Thanks for reading. :-)

So the Mayans' (whoever they were) expired calender predicted the world will be ending (again) on the 21st of December, 2012. This, of course, was a golden opportunity for the movie director/scriptwriter of the film 2012 to release a blockbuster about it back in 2009. And they casually bagged in $225 million. Yep.

Fad is not a new thing. Fads and popular culture have always had a loving relationship even before the "Mayans" existed. For all those who don't know what a fad is, see below:

fad

  [fad]  Show IPA

noun

a temporary fashion, notion, manner of conduct, etc., especially one followed enthusiastically by a group. (Dictionary.com)

Moving on...

Fads and popular culture have one thing in common - they are popular. People pay attention to them. People talk about them. They are mediated - television, radio, newspaper, online, you name it. 21-12-12 a.k.a "Doomsday" is a fad - although I don't hear much talk about it which is odd (maybe because people know there's 99.99% chance it's a false prophesy just like its predecessors). Nevertheless, the 2012 producers were smart enough to snatch it up and capitalize on it. So where does this fit in the world of advertising?

Creatives' primary aim is to create an ad that is Relevant, Original and Impacting. 'Relevant' is the key word here. Most ads are relevant not only because the target viewer needs the offering - for instance, a housewife pays attention to an ad about kitchen appliances on sale - but also because they use slices of popular culture or stereotypes to pass on the message. Creatives achieve that first stage of a communications objective - "Attention" - by connecting the viewer with something familiar.

The movie 2012 was relevant because it was based on a familiar and current idea. This is why I think Doomsday could also be an opportunity for short-term ads. In fact, it could work best with sales promotions. Retail ad clients that consistently work humor into their spots could use Doomsday as the organizing idea behind their current sales promotion. I can totally see Pak 'n' Save doing a Stickman version of it.

A nice example of this is the ad below. I came across it during my regular TV viewing today (20.12.12) - the day before "the big day". It certainly grabbed my attention! Enjoy :)

Without further-ado, have a happy 21.12.12 and Merry Christmas!