Brands have been encouraged to shift their focus away from short 90-second ads and towards longer-form content.
According to Armando Bo, a scriptwriter who won a Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Birdman, the format of a short advert is very restrictive because it doesn’t allow room for character development.
This, he said, means this type of ad can be stale and lacking in creativity.
“It’s such an explored medium that it is difficult to do something fresh and new,” Mr Bo commented.
He pointed out that many people “are not interested in TV anymore”, which means ads can be particularly annoying if they are not interesting.
As a result, he believes brands and people in the advertising industry need to find new ways of reaching people “without bothering” them.
“People can see the strings everywhere, they are already so well-trained,” he observed.
“They think: ‘They are just trying to sell me something.'”
However, Mr Bo said a good story “can make you change your life” and “make you take a decision”.
As a result, he believes harnessing the power of longer-form content and branded entertainment is the way forward for brands that wish to cut through.
Mr Bo went on to stress that an interesting character will be fundamental to the success of a longer and story-based advertising campaign.
“You have to understand what you are telling and not do something obvious,” he stated.
“It’s important to try to tell stories that are fresh, new and have an element of something different.”
Mr Bo added that marketers must take the time to develop a script and take out any elements that do not work.
Indeed, he said that up to 80 per cent of it could be removed before the final draft is produced.
“You have to trust your instincts,” Mr Bo advised.
‘Good stories can change your life’, says Birdman writer, Campaign
