U.S. angle on advertising

Press, 31 August 1977, Page 5

U.S. angle on advertising

A top Madison Avenue ad-1 vertising executive is in Christchurch to help a part-! ner agency — and prospec-j tive clients — to “break the boredom barrier” caused by ineffective advertising. Mr Tom Watson, the international co-ordinator of 8.8.D.0. International, said his company and affiliates were trying to develop advertisements that would solve consumer problems that really exist, “not ads telling you what you ought to like.” The New Zealand partner agency is Colenso Communications, which set up a local office six months ago. At a reception yesterday, prospective clients were shown how advertising campaigns are constructed. They; were also told about overseas innovations. A standardised decisionmaking process did not mean standardised i-dvertis-ing, Mr Watson said. That

would always be tailored to 1 local markets. “I might talk about soft: drinks or fast foods,” he said, “but behind it is a dis-! cipline allowing effective; execution.” His company did not believe in creativity for its own sake, but creativity that answered a problem. It also exported ideas, not Americans. Agencies were run by home-grown managers. “These are people we would like to win,” he said of the Christchurch prospects. “We are trying to get people into the tent.”