Ads - most of them are annoying right? But sometimes you’ll come across one that’s so good it makes you wonder 'who made that?'
Well, it’s unlikely a woman did, and even more unlikely a Māori woman did.
Which is why Bridget Taylor from Ngāti Whakaue is in a league of her own- not only is she a creative director in an industry dominated by pale males, she’s also the co-owner of Auckland based ad agency Contagion.
“I’m an active creative, so I’m on the tools, I’m creating ads and working with my clients every day- so it’s the final say”, explains Taylor.
The marketing maven has worked with “pretty much every brand” ranging from McDonalds to Durex. With the advent of digital and social media, Contagion has been quick to assert itself, creating campaigns that have quickly gone viral by directly engaging with consumers.
The brutal rules of engagement in this new digital space? “Make the first three seconds really engaging so you want to watch on, at six seconds they get bored and at 15 you’re pretty much maxing out”, says Taylor.
Taylor says a good ad has a strong human truth, it’s based on something unique to a product, and it also tells a memorable story, ‘like a good joke’. Diversity is also key. “For any brand, you need to have a unique selling proposition... and what is that for New Zealand? Māori. So you would be foolish not to have Māori represented”.
So the next time you come across a good ad, think about the brains behind the brand. Because there’s a good chance Bridget Taylor made it.