"A Jaguar is becoming more and more like a BMW".
Christian Monzel of Jung von Matt, Hamburg, on creativity in car advertising
Christian Monzel of Jung von Matt, Hamburg, on creativity in car advertisingFor client BMW, Jung von Matt picked up several nails in various categories at the German ADC 2000. JvM won the awards with imaginative advertising, as Christian Monzel from the Hamburg agency explains.What is the difference between good and bad car advertising?
Christian Monzel: Still through the idea. An idea is good if you can describe it in one sentence. A good example: the commercial with the man who can't remember where the tank is.
Can only prestige brands like BMW afford ADC-worthy appearances?
Monzel: That's a false impression. In general, many social accounts and small brands win at ADC. Overall, companies that support more courageous campaigns win at ADC. Prestige brands don't have a subscription to prizes. BMW, for example, didn't win a single prize at ADC in 1998. In 1999, we received twelve prizes for BMW. The smaller car brands always try to do only one thing: show the car as big as possible. That is the death of every idea and therefore of good advertising.
Why are clients so conservative about fancy campaigns in car advertising?
Monzel: See previous answer. But even big brands often follow a misunderstood form of CI. VW, for example, has been doing quite good TV advertising lately. But the print ads always follow the same pattern and are boring and meaningless. At Mercedes, the focus is also on a relatively rigid layout. Springer & Jacoby also always manages to fill the format with an idea. At BMW, we take a completely different approach with a flexible layout and support the product substance with long copy texts. I do believe that the brand allows something different and needs that. The question is not whether the brand allows it, but the people who manage it.
Auto campaigns are usually products of a central lead agency. Are such globalized, leveled implementations at all suitable for the most diverse local markets?
Monzel: The motto here is: as global as possible, as local as necessary. And the local automotive markets are very different. That's why we need a decentralized corrective through decentralized agencies. But the brand can only have one brand core, one positioning. That's why it's important to manage and steer the brand internationally. But we have to take into account the individual market conditions and requirements. A global campaign therefore makes little sense in the automotive market.
Do you recognize a new trend in car advertising?
Monzel: Yes. Increased emotionalization. But also the slide into mainstream advertising. People are trying to escape into worlds that have already been occupied by other consumer goods or service companies. As a result, you lose your profile. However, this is also a trend that can be derived from the brands' product policies. A Lexus looks exactly like a Mercedes. A Mazda, Toyota or Nissan are indistinguishable. A Jaguar is becoming more and more like a BMW, and so on.
Interview: Luca Aloisi
Christian Monzel: Still through the idea. An idea is good if you can describe it in one sentence. A good example: the commercial with the man who can't remember where the tank is.
Can only prestige brands like BMW afford ADC-worthy appearances?
Monzel: That's a false impression. In general, many social accounts and small brands win at ADC. Overall, companies that support more courageous campaigns win at ADC. Prestige brands don't have a subscription to prizes. BMW, for example, didn't win a single prize at ADC in 1998. In 1999, we received twelve prizes for BMW. The smaller car brands always try to do only one thing: show the car as big as possible. That is the death of every idea and therefore of good advertising.
Why are clients so conservative about fancy campaigns in car advertising?
Monzel: See previous answer. But even big brands often follow a misunderstood form of CI. VW, for example, has been doing quite good TV advertising lately. But the print ads always follow the same pattern and are boring and meaningless. At Mercedes, the focus is also on a relatively rigid layout. Springer & Jacoby also always manages to fill the format with an idea. At BMW, we take a completely different approach with a flexible layout and support the product substance with long copy texts. I do believe that the brand allows something different and needs that. The question is not whether the brand allows it, but the people who manage it.
Auto campaigns are usually products of a central lead agency. Are such globalized, leveled implementations at all suitable for the most diverse local markets?
Monzel: The motto here is: as global as possible, as local as necessary. And the local automotive markets are very different. That's why we need a decentralized corrective through decentralized agencies. But the brand can only have one brand core, one positioning. That's why it's important to manage and steer the brand internationally. But we have to take into account the individual market conditions and requirements. A global campaign therefore makes little sense in the automotive market.
Do you recognize a new trend in car advertising?
Monzel: Yes. Increased emotionalization. But also the slide into mainstream advertising. People are trying to escape into worlds that have already been occupied by other consumer goods or service companies. As a result, you lose your profile. However, this is also a trend that can be derived from the brands' product policies. A Lexus looks exactly like a Mercedes. A Mazda, Toyota or Nissan are indistinguishable. A Jaguar is becoming more and more like a BMW, and so on.
Interview: Luca Aloisi
