Creative Insight: The Difference Between Good-Different And Bad-Different Ads.

Think Different? Mostly, a good idea. Sometimes, a terrible idea.

In 1997, Apple launched its “Think Different” campaign. Advertising creatives loved the campaign for two reasons: It boldly didn’t show any product, and it made the Mac user the hero. (Even back then, most ad creatives didn’t use Windows PCs.) Copywriters and art directors ended up adopting the tagline as a mantra for what they did (or hoped to do) day-in and day-out.

But trying to create “different,” “never-before-seen” concepts is a shit-ton of pressure, especially if you’re “ideating” in a well-trodden product category. This causes copywriters to deviate from the brief, to abandon the agreed-upon message. It causes art directors to create insane visuals that make absolutely no sense. It causes creatives to hatch puzzling “borrowed interest” ideas that have zero connection to the product.

What, exactly, makes an ad “good-different”? Well, the “different” needs to be tied directly to the brand/product benefit. Also, well, I just know it when I see it.

First, two Bad-Differents. Then, two Good-Differents, ending with one of the best I’ve seen (and you older creatives have seen) in my career.