It has been so joyful to see NAB's leap ad for their mortgages and ANZ's TV commercial for their tap and pay Apple product, joyful because they are both well–made commercials that demonstrate the bringing together of excellent casting, direction and sound to communicate a very clear and powerful advertising story.
Neither commercial is what might be termed a "short walk and handshake" material (that is, an award–winner), but both spots are most definitely beautifully targeted and crafted.
Put simply, they are highly professional and obviously underpinned by a terrific brief and the right budget. Both are great examples of advertising professionals getting on with their craft and executing business–building ideas.
Jeremy Bullmore, an old school ad man and member of WPP's advisory board, said a brand is like a bird's nest, with every twig, spittle and brush adding to the shape of the brand in your mind. I am not the target for either NAB's or ANZ's offer, which is perhaps why I have only seen the TV commercial, but isn't it interesting how TV advertising works?
Just seeing those ads has made me appreciate NAB and happily consider ANZ. The shape of the bird's nest in my mind for both has improved.
That is what television advertising can do – and has always been able to do – for your business.
And that is why it is so bewildering that the new NAB and ANZ campaigns seem to be the exception rather than the rule.
Marketers seem to be continuously searching for another way and trying to position these simple TV advertising truths as coming from another era. They are always trying to use, as Professor Mark Ritson said, "the new shiny thing ... just like a magpie”.
At this week's AANA and MCN conference, Ritson discussed the need for zero–based marketing and genuine marketing mix neutrality in your planning. This is only sensible, but we also need to take into account that not all media are born commercially equal in terms of their ability to move the dial.
It is our job to advise clients on where to best spend their funds and how to gain the best returns. And, yes, looking for new and more efficient ways is part of doing our job. But like NAB and ANZ, let’s not dismiss the simple brilliance of the single greatest driver of sales that the commercial world has ever invented: the television commercial.