Think Inside The Box

A co-worker once boldly proclaimed to me that he liked to think outside the box. I internally chuckled and thought, "Wow, the fact that you used those 4 words makes me really wonder about that." Because as anyone in advertising knows, the phrase "think outside the box" just might be the most overused and meaningless one in the industry. So when I saw this project called Think Inside The Box, I could not help be a little cynical.

However, I quickly changed my tune as I saw what it was all about it. A little agency called Zulu Alpha Kilo from Toronto set up a BOX in Dundas Square. Inside the box, 8 of their employees sat and waited for problems in need of creative solutions. Pedestrians passing by were encouraged to bring any pressing question to the box. It was nine hours of free creative problem solving. Now this is a nice way to showcase the merits of creative folks.

I think clients often look at their agencies simply as ad creators and while that's true, we are also very much in the problem solving business. "Our competition just came out with a cheaper product, what can we do?" "We need more foot traffic!" "We changed our brand colors for the 6th time in 3 years, can you retro fit it?" Every day, we solve problems, both big and small, for clients by using our differently-wired noggins. We reinvent. We challenge the status quo. And we travel down avenues not even on others' maps. Yes, thinking outside the (I refuse to say it) is not just for fun and games, but can provide real solutions.

Below is a link to the site. Watch a promo video and see some of the creative answers they came up with.

thinkinsidethebox

13 Reasons Why

Unless you're Dan Brown or John Grisham, publishers aren't all that likely to put advertising dollars behind your masterpiece. Their marketing plan usually reads: "You're on your own, Shakespeare!" However, thanks to youtube and the "free" factor of the internet, these days a smart viral campaign can economically truly raise awareness.

Thus, before releasing a new fictional book entitled 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher, Penguin Publishing launched a viral effort to create interest. They hired Grey Advertising, a big-time agency in New York, to make content that would build an audience. The book itself (I have not read it) is about a young girl who commits suicide and made 13 audio tapes explaining why. It's a morbid, yet intriguing concept.

Targeting young teenagers, the viral campaign consisted of sending out 13 tapes with the voice of the main character Hannah Baker. The tapes were unbranded at first to add mystery. Eventually a community of interested folks uncovered the story behind these tapes. They, like good online groupies, began sharing their find with others.

As it began getting viral, Penguin then made the campaign less puzzling for the masses with a dedicated youtube channel. These videos are haunting. And I can think about 14 reasons why if I had a teenager, I might not want them to read a book about suicide. Nevertheless, this campaign did its job. 13 Reasons Why has sold over 200,000 copies and reached #3 on the NY Times Bestseller list. And the reason why it's successful is simple. It's not because it's viral. It's not because it has a youtube channel. It's because the creative, a tape and a voice, did its job of making people say, "I want to know more."