Marcelo Lourenço Interview(s)
WHEN DOES RESPONSIBILITY BECOME CENSORSHIP?
How has the shift towards more responsible or politically correct advertising impacted your work?
A lot: everything has changed in the last few years - the humor, the clichés, what can be said in a campaign. Or not. But advertising is just a reflection of people - so the ads are changing to keep up with society. What is part of the game. And that's fair.
When have you used a more provocative or even risky approach to get a response from the audience?
The arrival of the web changed everything. People choose what to see and when to see it. And if the content is boring, adios. To be more provocative and risky is the only way be relevant. My motto nowadays is this - be relevant or be skipped.
Can you give some examples of advertisers that have adopted a responsible approach but remained creative (eg. Heineken and its “drink responsibly” messages).
The campaign "#LikeAGirl" from Always is responsible and social relevant and still it's a hell of a campaign.
What’s an example of a popular ad that simply couldn’t be done today?
One of my favorite advert of all time is "The Ideal Woman" by Axe and BBH. It's simply impossible to make something like this today ...
How is the digital environment affecting the boundaries of what can and can’t be said in advertising?
In the Digital era everything is a reason for a riot - every single ad could be the red flag (intentional or not) that could be the end of your career. So the fear factor is rising up among creative people. What is a shame. On top of that, there is so many noise that the real questions are being pushed aside.
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