“Me-Too” Trend - Killing Creativity in Advertising Advertising, being one of the basic constructs of marketing communications is an encapsulated message about products, goods and services aimed at increasing the market share of the specific brand within the marketplace. Be it on radio, television, online, billboard, press, mobile billboard or in-store, this age long art is expected to provide the desired window necessary for engaging consumers. Regrettably, in recent times this genre of mass communication is being hampered by a sudden downward slide in the area of creativity. The trend in today‘s advertising begins with a great idea or imaginative brain work from one local or international creative agency, then everybody tries to copy this great idea in one form or the other, because of the perception that it will increase the market value of their products and if possible attract a local award as well. In the detergent market in Nigeria, for instance, adverts churned out lately for brands in this segment seem to follow a hackneyed experiential advertising tradition. No doubt, experiential advertising has proven over time to be one of the most effective and result oriented way to sell a product because it combines salesmanship with the ability to connect with the consumer; thus giving prospects something to encounter and interact with rather than just see or listen to. However, over flogging one particular angle of any form of art presentation is a direct spank on creativity. Using Harpic as an example, this brand has repeatedly shown virtually the same line of T.V commercials in the past decade. In the last six years, the brand has deployed several TV commercials including Nollywood stars like Rachel Onega, Patience Ozokwor, Nkem Owoh and Chioma Chukwuka Akpotha respectively to shoot the same lines. In all these commercials, the script and lines for these characters have virtually remained unchanged As far as one can remember, the Chief Zebrudiah and Ovularia’s (characters of new masquerade) Omo TVC is regarded by many as a classical example of a detergent brand that heralded the deployment of experiential TV advert in Nigeria. The impact this TV ad had on the Nigerian audience then was phenomenal because it was the leader in this kind of advertisement. Sadly, over the years, a deluge of undifferentiated detergent brands have flooded the media with similar advertising trend as if the idea is going out of fashion. Take a look at TVC of brands such as Ariel, Sunlight, Mama, So Klin and a host of others caught in this act of deploying experiential ad in its raw form; the viewer is either shown a washing competition where deliberately soiled clothes are used to showcase the “strength” of the brand or a party scene after which soiled materials are used to dramatize the “power” of the brand in a particular TVC. It seems they are taking it for granted that by merely putting up such ads, viewers will be convinced of their dramatized superiority. Even the background music and songs in all these TVCs are basically the same. However one must commend a brand like Omo for making efforts to stand out in this category. This trend is not limited to soap or detergent brands. The glaring case between KIA motors TVC shown recently in the international media and that of First Bank Plc, where both TVCs have strong similarity in lines and concept comes readily to mind, Mr. Segun Olabiwoninu, an avid follower of TV messages confirmed that this trend is real. He decried the lack of creativity in commercial placements. In his word “The need to sound alike, especially in voice-overs is on the high. Adverts always look similar; sometimes, I can’t remember any local ad that is outstanding.” In the same vein, Mrs. Juliet Agboola, a public commentator who resides in Orile, a suburb of Lagos also is equally disturbed about this trend among ads in the media. ‘Some adverts are unique and stand out but majority of them are mere copycats.” Commenting on this seeming sickening trend of me-too in the advertising industry, Mr. Bernard Okhakume, Managing Director of Markstride Communications Limited, greatly bemoaned their lack of creativity. He alludes that, “The mere fact that brands are deploying brand ambassadors and the social media as a platform to connect to consumers is a misnomer. Today, most advertising practitioners are irresponsible for designation which they are assigned to. For instance, if a beauty soap brand makes Genevieve its face, what follows is what we call ‘the vampire effect’. This means that, the whole attention of the advert will inadvertently be drawn to Genevieve. So, the aim of ambassadorship is already defeated, yet every brand wants to create a brand ambassador”. The ad practitioner further stated that brands sacrifice credibility at the expense of so-called creativity. “Two factors are fundamentally responsible for the “me-too” trend in advertising today: Laziness and inadequate training. Brand owners and ad practitioners have failed to realize that the market needs of brands vary. The Brand personality of each product varies and so is their target audience; hence, the advertising industry must wake up to these amazing realities and begin to tread cautiously on the glorious path of originality and creativity”. Also, Mrs Dolapo Adewale, an advertising practitioner lends her voice to this burning and topical issue of lack of creativity. “Today’s ad reality is representative of the state of the nation. There are people who do not have any business in advertising. They feel that advertising has become a jack of all trade. That is the spill over effect of unemployment and poverty in Nigeria”. She believes that only qualified and competent hands are capable of fast tracking unique and original ad contents in the advertising industry. Mr. Austin Osuma, an advertising practitioner and CEO of BBDA consulting company bares his mind on this issue by highlighting three factors that are responsible for the dearth in creativity in Nigerian commercials. “They are socio-economic hardship, intellectual laziness and lack of training. The vast majority of clients do not pay enough to justify creative impute in ads. Some clients end up paying far less than the agreed sum for a brief and that discourages the agency from creating the extraordinary. But the most debilitating factor is the poor economic situation in the country that impedes the whole creative processes.” TV commercials are important part of content exposed to an average television viewer. According a study done by Martin Lindstrom, by the time a man in an urban area reaches the age of sixty-six, he must have seen approximately two million television commercials. Time wise, this is the equivalent to watching eight hours of ads seven days a week for six years. Besides, Bain and company conducted a study of 524 brands across 100 categories and found just two indicators that led to a brand excelling in its category: product innovation and advertising. Also, according to an industry source (MMS 2009), total ad spent in Nigeria for 2009 alone stands at over $400 million. Despite, the huge resources deployed in creating advertising messages, why should dearth of creativity be so obvious that one is compelled to ask: what has happened to creativity and award winning copies that were previously taken for granted in Nigeria’s advertising industry? Obviously, the advertising platform presents a virile and veritable medium of interacting with the public; a rare opportunity that should not be trivialized or taken for granted. Hence, advertising agencies and brand owners alike must have a firm grip on their audience- needs, desires and buying pattern by engaging them each time with creative and mind blowing commercials.