CREATEORDIE*LONDON

the next culture

of integration
communicating using culture, not just media

create(or)die*london: the next culture of integration ! 1

Prologue
create or die* london is a young youth-orientated creative communications
consultancy. We help clients build communications strategies that can en-
gage today’s youth.

We’ve decided to write this paper to weigh into the debate about integra-
tion within communications and comment not only from a youth angle but
from our consultancy’s own unique perspective. We found was particularly
apt time to write this as Campaign Magazine recently published ‘Integra-
tion Essays’ in 4th December’s issue, and while there were some genuinely
insightful stuff being said, apart from one or two voices we realized we
were reading all the big names and all the big agencies, saying contrasted
things, but tied together with the same basic principle: they all seem to be-
lieve that media is the most significant element of the integration debate.

This paper aims to show that integrated campaigns are only truly inte-
grated when the advertiser slots into a part its audiences lives. We think
advertisers have to focus on integrating into culture, rather than integrating
into a media landscape, this can only be done with powerful ideas, irre-
spective of media prolificacy. Anything less and it’s simply another ad cam-
paign by another company. Successful brands will find ways to integrate
not just their product or services into the lifestyles of their customers but
also how they communicate those products of services. AKQA’s Ajaz Ah-
med correctly observed that ‘the consumer does not separate the market-
ing experience from the product experience’. With that in mind advertisers
have to be aware that the communication of a brand, product or service
has to be just as important, impacting and significant as the actual prod-
uct.

So, if the most important element of integration is about integrating into

lives and not simply using media, shouldn’t the debate be focused not
simply on the best ways to integrate using component media, but how to
integrate into the lifestyles and culture of our intended audiences?

Successful brands will

integrate not just their
products into peopleʼs
lifestyles, but also how
they communicate them
create(or)die*london: the next culture of integration ! 2
Brand integration must be
more than the combination of
media channels. Brands
must find ways to integrate
into peopleʼs lives. " " " "
People that have the biggest in-
fluence over others tend to play a
significant part in that other per-
son’s life: a mother would be a
bigger influence to her children,
when giving advice than a write-
in agony aunt. And a friend would
be a bigger influence when rec-
ommending a film than a re-
viewer in the Guardian, for ex-
ample.
The same goes for brands. Peo-
ple are more likely to listen and
take heed of a brand’s message
if that brand plays a significant
role in that person’s life. Brands
have to take the time to connect
with people on a personal level.
But of course brands and brand
managers can’t spend years with
each individual consumer, getting
to know them and becoming a
friend of theirs, before they get to
a position when they start being
an influence on them. So they
must do the next best thing.
Brands that cannot connect with
people on a personal level must
attempt to connect on a cultural
one.
create(or)die*london: the next culture of integration !
A dictionary definition of 'culture'
is as follows :
[noun] the arts and other mani-
festations of human intellectual
achievement regarded collec-
tively
• a refined understanding or ap-
preciation of this : men of culture.
• the customs, arts, social institu-
tions, and achievements of a par-
ticular nation, people, or other
social group
• [with adj. ] the attitudes and
behavior characteristic of a par-
ticular social group
We think, there is a clearer, less
complex definition though; we
think culture is a composite of
different ideas, traditions and
values that bring together a
group of people.
Everybody on Earth who has
ideas, traditions and values be-
longs to a specific culture. Cul-
ture exists in the metaphysical,
one cannot belong to a culture
by simply being young or black
or whatever, but by holding simi-
lar ideas, traditions and values.
Culture is as innate and impor-
tant to people as breathing; it
defines who we are.
Brands must integrate into peo-
ple’s lives by becoming ingrained
their culture, the only thing apart
from our friends and family that
really plays a significant part in
influencing us.
For saliency, brands cannot rely
what they’ve done for the last
100 years and portray a set of
ideals that they hope people will
gravitate to. They have to be-
come more flexible, proactive
and innovative to remain relevant
in culture and influential.
In short, brands have to exist in
the metaphysical and must add
up to more than simply the
physical manifestation of its
products and advertising.
This paper will explore how
brands must consider integration
as more than the combination of
media channels they use to exe-
cute campaigns, but as a way for
brands to find ways to influence
people by fitting into their lives.
3
“Advertising is like darkness,
the more there is, the less you see.”
- Paul Silburn, Creative Partner, Saatchi & Saatchi

Today’s integrated landscape.

Integration in communications today widely means using a range of

complementary media to communicate a consistent message across
a particular publicity/advertising campaign or marketing activity. It
has become the holy grail of ad-land with awards for integrated
campaigns from Cannes, D&AD and the One Show becoming in-
creasingly important and prestigious for clients and agencies alike.
Advertisers are under the impression that people need to be con-
stantly reminded of their message amidst the noise and clutter of a
convoluted marketplace; and so they combine media to communi-
cate their message.

The problem now is, that because every advertiser will soon be adopt-
ing the integrated approach, it may exacerbate the original problem of too much clutter and noise in
the marketplace. Brands that were happy to use one or two executions to communicate their mes-
sage now feel compelled to use five or six. This means that advertisers have to spend more time and/
or other resources to create a campaign because of the extra exposures required. It will also mean
that we, their audience will be subjected to more exposures, messages and communications than
before. Which will have an adverse effect because like Paul Silburn of Saatchi & Saatchi said ‘advertis-
ing is like darkness, the more there is, the less you see’. The modern consumer has developed a
highly-effective blinker system, where we automatically stop paying attention as soon as we deduce a
piece of content to be an ad.

Advertisers have to remember that they are producers of content. Brands have opportunities to use
their content to connect with people on a tremendous level, they must use these opportunities to be-
come culturally relevant and a part of their audiences lives by enhancing them and not to solely tell
them about their product or service. It is not impossible for people to enjoy content from brands and
advertisers as much as they enjoy content from authors and movie directors.

Brands and their agencies have a duty to create campaigns (and content) that integrate into people’s
lives by being smarter and more relevant to their audience. Advertisers don’t have to spend millions
on multi-channel campaigns and can still gain saliency and effectiveness by employing specialist in-
sight and a deep understanding of a particular audience. The marketers and agencies that can em-
ploy this will have managed to make their brands’ communications become more of an event than a
simple publicity campaign and be on the way to integrate that brand in people’s lives in a far more ef-
fective way.

“Relevance doesnʼt just beat prevalence, it kicks its arse”

- Troy Kennedy, Client Services Director, create(or)die*london

create(or)die*london: the next culture of integration ! 4

“People donʼt separate the marketing experience from
the product experience” - Ajaz Ahmed, Chairman, AKQA

When AKQA approached this Fiat task, it’s

obvious they didn’t go about it using ‘stan-
dard’ communications practices.

They managed to find a way to engage peo-

ple and change user behaviour, by creating a
simple and powerful utility. AKQA found a
method of communication to integrate Fiat
into people’s lives on a deeper level than a
simple advertising campaign could, they
made it cooler, easier and funner to be a
green driver.

They communicated Fiat’s green credentials

unlike most other car manufacturers that
usually make a point of telling consumers
how much less CO2 their particular vehicles
emit by acknowledging a basic truth: Drivers
have a direct input on the amount of CO2
their car emits. An irresponsible Micra driver
can potentially emit more CO2 from their ve-
hicle than a sensible Range Rover driver.

AKQA used this insight to communicate

Fiat’s impressive green credentials by devel-
oping a utility that helps drivers drive more
ecologically by using a USB dongle you’d
plug into your Fiat then into your computer
after a journey. The software provided the
user with easily readable metrics and advice
to lower CO2 emissions by changing driving
patterns.
This is a great example of using what essen-
tially was a communications task to create
something that is more integral to the life of
the consumer that a mere publicity cam-
paign.

This was achieved with a powerful idea and

an insight-led approach, as opposed to
communicating via many different media
channels. The user will interact with the
‘communication’ every day and change their
behaviour as result, tightening their
bond with the brand and the prod-
uct.

http://bit.ly/okjkb

create(or)die*london: the next culture of integration ! 5

“[Whether you communicate] using the internet or with a "
balloon floating above me, I donʼt care, just move me, dude”
- Dan Wieden, Co-Founder, Wieden + Kennedy

This is another campaign that integrates itself on a far

deeper level than a ordinary, run-of-the-mill communi-
cations campaign. The New York Department of Edu-
cation wanted to instill the value and importance of
education amongst the cities youth.

We’re sure you’ve read all about this campaign by

Droga5 already, as it won plenty of awards in 2009,
including the D&AD Black Pencil in the integrated
category and has been the talk of ad-land.

What we think was awesome about the campaign is

that it’s not innovative for innovation’s sake, and that
the campaign has become an integral part of each of
the million schoolchildren’s lives that are part of the
program. Every time they use their ‘Million’ device
they are reminded of the importance of attainment
and of education excellence.

It should be noted that this is an example of perfect

consumer integration using only one medium: digital/
mobile.

http://vimeo.com/1285324

create(or)die*london: the next culture of integration ! 6

“Today, ideas must create positive brand
momentum that outlives any media
budget”" " " -David Droga, Chairman, Droga5

The Tap Project is another example of

how an idea can gain integration into
people’s everyday lives without follow-
ing the guidelines of a ‘traditional’ in-
tegrated campaign.
The campaign asked New York restau-
rants to charge $1 for a glass of tap
water diners would usually get for free
with their meal, the money would then
go directly to Unicef in aid of funding
water development projects in poorer
countries.
Droga5 realized that asking for a small
payment in return for a product in an
environment where people are accus-
tomed to parting with money anyway
was a great way to not only raise
money but communicate the message
Unicef’s message.
Droga5 used media sparingly, the
main point of communication to con-
sumers being the restaurants them-
selves.
The campaign has integrated so well
into the New York dining experience,
that bills come with Tip, Tap and Total
amounts at the bottom. The ‘tap’ logo
in restaurant windows is now as
common as the credit card accepted
logos. The campaign will expand be-
yond New York into the rest of the US
in 2009 and into the rest of the world
in 2010.

http://www.tapproject.org/

create(or)die*london: the next culture of integration ! 7

“The best advertising isnʼt advertising”
-- Ajaz Ahmed, Chairman, AKQA

This is another great example of holistic marketing,

where R/GA was involved in product innovation and not
just communications. As already stated in this report,
people don’t separate the marketing experience from the
product experience so it makes sense that both are
handled by the same groups of people.
Created in 2007, Nike and R/GA developed the Nike+
running system. The idea is simple: you place a small
wireless transmitter in a compatible Nike running shoe,
then you’d plug a wireless receiver into a compatible
Apple iPod, and with software, so run would be moni-
tored, plug your iPod into your PC and you can see ex-
actly how well your run went, you can plot routes and
work out how to improve your run over time.
This simple idea and piece of equipment has become a
tool used daily by millions of people globally, and has
become as important and integral to the success of their
run as the actual running shoes they wear.
This again shows how agencies can provide so much
more than words and pictures to help clients solve prob-
lems and ultimately sell more products.
R/GA found a way to communicate Nike’s core brand
message of excellence in sports in a truly innovative and
integrated way. Millions of people who use the product
or are aware of its existence knows that Nike goes
above and beyond to ensure its users excel at running,
in this instance.
This campaign is arguably R/GA most successful piece
of work and has won numerous awards included Cam-
paign Magazine, Digital Campaign of the Decade 2000-
2010.

create(or)die*london: the next culture of integration ! 8

“The consumer isnʼt a moron, she is your wife”
-- David Ogilvy, Founder, Ogilvy

True Integration.
The examples cited above are an indication of what we believe ‘true integration’ is. The above agen-
cies seem to be able to make campaigns resonate in real people’s lives with ideas and not simply
making messages translatable across different channels to achieve integration.
We believe a campaign only reaches true integration when the communication has found a way to
integrate into its target markets lives. All the above examples have managed to do this in some way or
other. Fiat drivers think nothing of using Eco:Drive everyday. A million New York schoolchildren think
nothing of using the Million cellphone everyday, New York diners expect to see Tip, Tap, Total on the
foot of their bills and millions of people can’t go running without their Nike+.
Agencies and advertisers must think on these lines to gain saliency and recognition in a cluttered
market amongst consumers bombarded with a million messages and minute. Consumers are savvier
than they’ve ever been, they’ve seen it all, you can’t trick them like before. Advertisers must strive to
be ingrained in consumer culture in order to be noticed.

Acknowledgements.
Quotes: Ajaz Ahmed, David Droga, Troy Kennedy, David Ogilvy, Paul Silburn, Dan Wieden.
References: Truth, Lies and Advertising by Jon Steel, Campaign Magazine, YouTube, AKQA.com,
Droga5.com, RGA.com, creativity-online.com, dandad.org, tapproject.org,
Design & Imagery: DDB Yellow Paper Series, Google Images,
Research: create(or)die*london

create or die*london is a youth-orientated

communications consultancy.

visit our website at http://createordielondon.com

our blog at http://placeforideas.com

or speak to our CSD, Troy Kennedy at:

+44(0)7930131129
troyk@createordielondon.com

create(or)die*london: the next culture of integration ! 9