The use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness – that’s the definition of ‘creativity’ in the Oxford Dictionary. However, how does one really judge or assess creativity when one sees it? Is it about the masterstroke of a painter or is it about the story penned by a writer and then executed perfectly and canned by the director with the perfect shot, camera angle and performance? At best, creativity is a subjective matter, and one of the best to judge it – at least in the advertising world - is one of the most celebrated and awarded creative directors in the business: Mark Tutssel, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett Worldwide.
AWARDS: THE BEST YARDSTICK
Tutssel believes that the best way to judge the ‘health of creativity’ is to be judged by peers or the best of the best in the industry, as this is a fairly accurate tool to measure the merit of a piece of work. He adds that ‘creative effectiveness’ is the most interesting category to work for. Tutssel disagrees with sceptics who say that ads that win big at awards functions are not really successful. He says, “There is a direct correlation between high creativity and marketplace success. Higher the creativity, greater the success of the campaign in the marketplace. Clients and agencies know that and thus it is a great way of measuring creativity and the value of creativity, but I think award shows have served the purpose and if the show is run correctly and populated with the best creative minds, best works can be discovered. For me, it is a true measure of great work.” For Tutssel, awards are not just ‘shiny trophies’ but a breeding ground for new ideas and a huge education for the entire industry.
MAN WITH THE ‘MIDAS TOUCH’
When not at the judges’ table at awards shows, Tutssel leads the team at Leo Burnett Worldwide to release the Cannes Predictions reel, which showcases with amazing accuracy the contenders likely to win at the prestigious festival. In fact, Leo Burnett Worldwide’s Cannes predictions, launched in 1987, is the benchmark for the advertising industry’s leading forecast of creative contenders. Tutssel says his team keeps a tab on every major award show, international, regional and even local, and tracks certain pieces of work that consistently win. With 96 Leo Burnett offices around the world, Tutssel has access to the best of the best creative talent around the world and that helps him look for work that is breakthrough and innovative. “I am a student of communication, so I pride myself on the fact that I need to know, see and consume everything. I am like this human sponge. So when you say that I am curating and collating the work and you start to come down to the primary contenders. I enjoy doing it. And over time, you get better at it. For the last 4-5 years, it has been almost 100% perfect.”
According to Tutssel, the most important component of any campaign is the idea behind the ad and how effectively the idea is used in the chosen channel so that maximum potential can be derived from it. Craft is key, as any form of modern communication has to be immaculate in every single detail of its execution - be it the lighting, frame, make-up or even costumes. Finally, Tutssel says, “At the end of the day the only question I ask of myself, if I was judging this, would I award it? So, I trust my guts nine times out of 10 and to date, it’s been relatively accurate.”
LOST IN TRANSLATION?
With many advertisements from non-Western markets now making their way to prestigious award festivals, how do the judges assess ads belonging to another culture, especially as these ads are not in English and the meaning and cultural nuances of words can get lost while translating them to English? “Nine times out of ten, great ideas speak for themselves and little touches and things that give the flavour to the idea obviously are important but I think people are looking for the great idea,” Tutssel says, adding that judges have to be furnished with detailed information with all the subtleties and the little cultural nuances and cultural relevance of the idea before they even begin to judge a creative. “Ultimately, what wins awards are the best ideas and ideas that are executed flawlessly and have the brilliant ability to move people,” Tutssel says. One campaign from India which gets a big thumbs up from him is the ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati – Girl Child’ ad crafted by Leo Burnett India for Sony Entertainment Television. Tutssel believes that the promo’s success lies in the fact that it gives women a voice to believe in themselves and in their potential and ability to grow. “To put human value in education and the power and value of knowledge to people was absolutely inspirational. In execution, because the way the story went through the life of a young girl and then changed completely on the programme itself, it was an amazing way to get that message to register. I have never seen media being used that way before, so I think it is a world first in terms of media and media innovation.”
STRINGENT QUALITY CHECK
With 96 offices all round the world, maintaining quality across the network is a challenge for any organization. But, Leo Burnett consistently wins big and is one of the most awarded networks. What helps the agency maintain its high creative standards is its creative review system, the Global Product Committee or GPC. Every quarter, creatives and strategic thinkers from all offices get together and review every single piece of work made by the agency, giving instant feedback to the teams that created the ads. This helps the agency constantly review the quality of thinking and the quality of ideas. The forum also helps build a ‘real human bond’ between individual offices and creative directors and serves as a platform to share ideas. Tutssel believes, “It is a great way of operating as a team and I think it sits in the heart of the agency and is the sole reason why the agency is so creatively prolific and so awarded in virtually every country in the world. Our focus is the quality of our creative product.”
INDIA: HOTBED OF TALENT
India figures high on Tutssel’s list of highly creative countries. He says that India has some of the best creative minds in the world: “My expectation is always high and I am always excited to see the work because there’s a real love of communication and a real appetite to produce world class work here and the work ethics is second to none.” In an effort to drive fresh energy into the creative pool, Leo Burnett India recently re-structured its creative leadership, promoting National Creative Director KV Sridhar (Pops) as Chief Creative Officer of the India Subcontinent and Nitesh Tiwari as Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett India. Tutssel affirms his faith in the new ranks, saying, “Nitesh is the man for the job and will be empowered to take the brand and the quality of the product to the next level. He is one of the most respected creative leaders in the industry and has an incredible following within the Indian creative community. He is diverse and highly imaginative and a natural leader.” As for Pops, Tutssel sees his experience and talent benefiting Leo Burnett in multiple ways. “Pops has always been a champion of creativity and a wonderful human being that people genuinely love. I am excited to see how he develops other offices throughout the sub-continent,” he adds.
Elsewhere too, the company attracts a great talent pool. Unlike two decades ago when the best works emerged from the Western world, predominantly the UK and the USA, today it is a level playing field with many other countries producing world class work. “It has been proven that great ideas come from everywhere. If I look at the talent and the quality of the work that’s got us accolades, I realize that any one of the 96 offices that Leo Burnett has around the world is capable of producing world class work. So, I think talent resides everywhere,” says Tutssel.
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