Havas Worldwide's seven key learnings from D&AD 2016.

1. 7 KEY TAKEAWAYS
D&AD
2016

2. 1ADVERTISING FOR
GOOD
One of the key themes demonstrated at the
festival was the increasing need for brands to
do well in the world. It’s no longer acceptable
to simply be a cool brand that sells products
people like; we need to make a difference
in people’s lives and be useful. As you know
from the Meaningful Brands study, it’s brand
first, products second.
All of this year’s award-worthy work was
genuinely relevant, brave, and inspiring. It’s
work that moves our industry forward in a
meaningful way.
Two great examples include: “Security
Moms” from Ogilvy Brazil, which aims to stop
violence in football stadiums, and “Love Has
No Labels” from R/GA, which challenges our
views on all forms of love.

3. 2NEXT GENERATION
Benoit Vancauwenberghe, creative director at
20something, pointed out the unique nuances
of millennials: they are driven by FOMO (fear
of missing out), experience is the center of
their lives, and their geographical spread is the
cloud. It’s no wonder they gravitate toward
platforms like Periscope and Snapchat that
offer instant access.
It’s important to put these platforms in the
hands of people who understand them
best. Instead of using young talent for lesser
tasks, agencies should give them greater
responsibility. When innovation is the currency
of our industry, we should recognize youth for
what they are: a source for new ideas.
Hear more from Benoit and see how Havas
Chicago embraces youth through The Annex.

4. 3BACKLASH BRANDS
Following Protein World’s controversial “Are
you beach body ready?” campaign, there has
been a lot of debate as to whether brands
that incite extreme consumer reactions
actually work or if they simply offend. The
conclusion at D&AD seemed to be that
yes, they do work—if, and only if, they have
something genuinely interesting to say and
remain relevant to their fans.
It’s about being bold rather than creating
controversy for the sake of controversy.
Think: Thinx‘s analogous ad campaign or
Equinox’s “Commit to Something” campaign.

5. 4THE REITERATION OF
STORYTELLING
In 1991, people looked forward to watching
TV ads as much as they looked forward
to watching the programs themselves.
Nowadays, that phenomenon is far from true,
and we need to finally address it directly.
Thanks to oversaturation, fragmentation, and
the rise in popularity of ad blockers, it is the
responsibility of advertisers and artists to tell
compelling visual stories that work seamlessly
across mediums—and that viewers can’t get
enough of.
Sip on Beyoncé’s Lemonade to get a taste
of visual storytelling, and check out a recent
piece by Havas Media’s Tom Goodwin to learn
why adblocking could be the best thing for
our industry.

6. 5VIRTUAL REALITY
One of the main attractions at D&AD was the
virtual reality demonstration—further proof
that VR has our industry raptured.
But we’re still figuring out how to make it
meaningful. With 28 million people expected
to have purchased a VR headset in just two
years, it’s clear that this tech isn’t going
anywhere and will have profound effects on
consumer behavior. Advertisers should get
familiar with the devices and software, while
brands should start thinking about how it can
enhance the consumer experience—and add
value to people’s lives.
Just ask Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man and
read up on seven ways VR will change life as
we know it.

7. 6MEDIA IS THE
MESSAGE
There was an obvious and growing
convergence between creative and media, with
a recurring trend of integrating platforms like
Airbnb and eBay into the marketing strategy.
Instead of building standalone platforms or
relying on paid targeting, advertisers are
increasingly integrating themselves into
popular platforms to access their unique and
loyal audiences. With more media options than
ever, where your message lives is sometimes
just as impactful as the message itself.
Consider integrated campaigns like “The Guy
Who Cut Everything in Half” by Serviceplan
and Havas Boondoggle’s Airbnb intern
recruitment campaign.

8. 7GOING THE EXTRA
MILE
D&AD Pencils only go to the finest work—it
takes fulfilling a human need and executing
flawlessly on that. Pencils require that extra
10 percent.
The submissions that stood out were those
tailored to specific categories and that
showed the work in its entirety—rather
than built solely around how the campaign
performed on social media.
Of course, going the extra mile does not
discount beautiful simplicity.
Two stand-out examples include: “LifePaint” by
Grey London, which addresses cyclist fatalities,
and “I Am a Witness” by Goodby Silverstein &
Partners, which addresses cyberbullying.

9. THANK YOU TO OUR
THOUGHT LEADERS
Kerrie Boyes
Jim Elliott
Steve Garside
Anna-Rose Kerr
Megan Little
Jason Peterson
Marian Salzman