The Anatomy of a Winning Advertising Campaign
What makes a winning advertising campaign? The country’s most awarded creative directors and marketers give their answers. And they’re not what you think.
Advertising awards are celebrated to recognize excellence in the advertising industry. They serve as a platform to showcase innovative and impactful work, for both individuals and agencies. Advertising awards are all about work that moves the industry forward and builds business. But what makes a winning advertising campaign?
Creative Director David Guerrero is largely credited for opening the floodgates of winning international awards for the Philippines. His partnership with Jos Ortega on the strategic and business side has reaped awards from Cannes, Clio, D&AD, the One Show, New York Festivals–the list goes on–with Grand Prix, Golds, Silvers and Bronzes.
“We were like the young Turks,” Jos Ortega enthused about his collaborations with David Guerrero. “Everybody would say, ‘Who are these two guys trying to change the industry?’ So we played the role of Change the World, Challenge Everything, and just do everything, anything that everybody has not done.”
In its cover features, The Business Manual has spoken to many of the country’s top creative directors and marketers, from creative legends like Merlee Jayme and Jos Ortega to the current generation of creatives like Raymund Sison and the disruptive creators from Gigil Agency. We’ve gathered their thoughts on what makes winning advertising campaigns here.
Winning advertising campaigns have impact
Impact is on the top of the list of qualities of winning advertising campaigns. Before they can change behaviors and create influence, they first need to be remembered.
Raymund Sison, Founder and Creative Chief of Lennon Group, explained the impact of advertising campaigns, saying, “Impact can be an effect on change in human behavior. Impact could be the effect on community, the effect on people, and impact on the world. So when you talk about creativity that drives impact, it’s important to look at it in a way that builds the business, builds the brand, at the same time builds the community together.”
Winning advertising campaigns grab attention
Connected to generating impact, today’s advertising campaigns have the additional burden of grabbing attention in a world where attention is in short supply.
The answer? “Make your ads a non-ad,” creative legend Merlee Jayme said. “Make it like a lovable piece of material that they would want to listen to than simply skip away.”
In recent years, Gigil agency has, perhaps, done this better than most creative agencies.
Jake Yrastorza, Managing Partner of Gigil, said, “We keep on reminding ourselves that people in general hate ads… If you’re funny, if you’re a bit emotional, make them laugh, make them cry, they’ll be a bit more open. And later on when you try to sell something to them, then they’ll listen to you.”
They build business
Creativity for its own sake, without meeting business objectives, creates ineffective ads. Winning advertising campaigns remain focused on the realities of business and deliver results. But counter-intuitively, delivering these results requires creative thinking and often, an appeal to emotions.
“If something hits someone’s heart, it will sell,” Raymund Sison said. “It will be effective. And to me, I’m all about creativity that gives meaning to people, that gives meaning to communities, and that gives meaning to brands and businesses… I’m a believer that creativity is one of the greatest multipliers of business.”
They create change
Gigil’s Jake Yrastorza spoke about how the best advertising campaigns create change. He said, “Do we develop an idea that will build a business, or do we develop an idea that’s just creative? It was a debate. Let’s pick one. Now we’re slowly realizing that you don’t have to pick one. In fact, you shouldn’t pick one. Both can and should coexist”
Merlee Jayme also spoke about change. She said, “Your idea should change lives for the better and change the world for the better. If it doesn’t change the world in a big way, at least change lives. Change behaviors.”
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Frequently Asked Questions
A successful campaign combines deep audience insights, a clear and compelling value proposition, creative storytelling, and precise channel selection to resonate with the target market effectively.
Use data-driven market research, including demographics, psychographics, and behavioral patterns, to ensure your messaging reaches the specific individuals who are most likely to convert and engage.
Consistency across all channels reinforces brand identity and message recall, ensuring that the audience recognizes and trusts your brand every time they encounter your advertising content.
Track key performance indicators such as reach, engagement rates, click-through rates, and conversion metrics to evaluate the campaign’s impact and make necessary adjustments for future optimization.
A clear call to action guides the audience on what to do next, reducing friction and directly contributing to higher conversion rates by turning interest into measurable action.
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