Two Halves Are Better Than One

If the right brain is the creative center for concepts that will stop consumers in their tracks, the left side of the brain is the intellectual center that can help shape the raw concept into something that demands more of its audience than merely being spectators. Until just a few years ago, it possible to build a brand using only humor, shock or any other creative device that might increase unaided recall. In today’s world of instant gratification (on the consumer side and the client side) the old rules for branding no longer apply.

Today, a concept must be crafted in such a way that the consumer feels a more immediate need to interact in some way: whether via the Internet, phone or (in just a few years) the lowly TV remote. And it’s not enough merely to tack on a quick graphic at the end of a TV spot. That’s where the “left brain” comes in: to take the raw emotion, humor and/or shock value of a concept and focus it into a message that leads the viewer to inevitably act in a way that will satisfy the client’s active goals.

This more “whole brained” approach is what it really takes to produce highly creative, yet successful advertising for today’s more demanding marketing environment. I even coined a name for it few years ago: “Active Branding,” which is described more completely under the heading “The New Math.”