Interview with John Hegarty

Interesting to hear John Hegarty talk about technology. He is one of advertising's greats. I agree with much of what he says in this story but also disagree with some. In may ways Sir John argues for creativity in the traditional way that it is expressed in the world of advertising. Still, hard to argue with his success.

Great background to Hegarty here on the Independent Newspaper's site

"We've moved from the age of interruption to the age of engagement, from a passive consumer to an active consumer who basically doesn't just sit back and wait for things to be delivered but who goes and seeks things out. A whole new mind-set is needed in the way you create and develop work and how you plan your media," he observes.

"One solution is to make advertising more like entertainment. From the moment 22 years ago when Nick Kamen dropped his jeans in "Launderette", the seminal commercial Hegarty created for Levi's, BBH has been the master of the compelling ad.

"But the agency also leads the way in coming at the problem from the other direction - making entertainment more like advertising. Advertiser-funded programming (AFP) may make perfect sense from the point of view of the advertisers and media owners, but what about viewers? At least adverts declare their hand openly. Isn't the danger that AFP is either very clunky and intrusive or insidious? Won't viewers become resentful if they have to decode the commercial agenda of every programme before they engage with the content?"

Video via KnitwareBlog.com (a BBH insider)

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