Advertising is Culture: Menno Kluin, Chief Creative Officer of 360i

We asked our 2020 ANDYs jury their thoughts on what the new year will bring us in the advertising industry and Menno Kluin, shared:

What creative trends do you think you’ll see in 2020?
I think we’ll see more socially inclined advertising, even when it comes to big spots, etc. Also, brands will continue to build on memes to engage with their audience. Overall, whatever you do in any channel is meant to be propelled by consumers. This isn’t a new trend, but the classic isolated spot that triggers no response in culture has fully rendered itself as meaningless.

What new forms of technology do you think will play a role in creative campaigns this year?
I wouldn’t say it’s a new form, but different iterations of AI is something that we’re playing with, and I expect to see a lot more of it. Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen a couple of cases that scratched the surface of what is truly possible with AI. There’s much more to come, possibly in ways that we can’t even imagine yet.

Is the industry moving forward with integrity and authenticity when they show up in places of social good, or is it woke-washing?
Advertising is the business of selling goods. So everything will be scrutinized no matter what. It has already started where brands cannot authentically make purpose-driven statements. However, if you’re a brand that has specific values in their DNA, keep doing it. If it’s just a cheap piggyback on a topic, consumers are aware and will call you out for it. As they should.

How effective is the advertising industry as a narrator and reflector of culture in this moment of time?
Advertising is culture, so one always feeds off the other. Our perception of the 1960s, for instance, is partially tainted by the advertising of that time, and today is no different. Some agencies successfully reflect their time and are most likely more successful than the ones that do not.