Initative
#FutureSpeak by Janson Choo
Consumers have become savvier towards brands and products, they have opinions and preferences before even being exposed to advertisements. Public preference has become more fragmented and targeted advertising has become more sophisticated.
This idea was the foundation of the Income OrangeAid FutureSpeak conducted by Janson Choo, Creative Director at Bartle Boggle Hegarty (BBH) Singapore on 18 May 2019, for tertiary-level students. Janson Choo is be the 3rd coach in Income OrangeAid's coaching programme that is part of the Alumni initiative launched in 2018.
Jason kicked off the session with a sharing of his journey into advertising, from the time he was in school till when he landed his first job. He then shared insights into his work at creative agencies, from the moment he receives the client's brief and the creative process to how society and technology have changed the way of working at agencies today.
To broaden their perspectives and understanding about advertising today, Janson brought students through case studies that showed leading creative agencies and campaigns exploiting digital mediums, such as creative product demos, content marketing and even short documentaries to reach out to digitally-savvy audiences.
"And what bigger movement can one get than to save planet earth."
He challenged attendees to think about advertising campaigns as an effective change agent for society, and shared how advertising can potentially trigger a cultural revolution. He shared BBC’s Blue planet, a series of documentary films on the use of plastic and its impact on marine life, and how cities and brands were moved to start banning single-use plastic today.
“Advertising can spark a movement,” said Jansen.
“It was fun being able to learn practical and non-theoretical methods outside of school. I learnt that the most important elements required for one to be creative and to find an edge in advertising are to go outside, read books, don’t wear headphones, stand for something and have fun,” - Jasmine Chua, attendee from ITE College East.
Janson closed the session by giving attendees some fruit for thought. He shared: "The future of advertising is no advertising." By this, he is implying that increasingly advertisements will need to sell a story and not a product to be successful. He also encouraged attendees to have good ideas by taking inspiration from their surroundings, as “No amount of data, AI and entertainment, can beat a good idea”.
Overall, students who attended Janson’s #FutureSpeak session felt they now are more familiar with the creative process behind advertising. They also gained useful tips and learnt interesting facts from Janson’s personal experience.
