"You know, a lot of people really struggle to give themselves permission to be creative. And reasonably so. I mean, we're all a little suspect of our own talent," says Ethan Hawke, American actor in a recent TED talk titled
Give yourself permission to be creative.
This begs the question: Does human creativity
really matter?
Well, Hawke puts it like this: "Most people don't spend a lot of time thinking about poetry. Right? They have a life to live, and they're not really that concerned with anybody's poems until somebody breaks your heart; and all of a sudden, you're desperate for making sense out of this life, or the universe — something great. You meet somebody and your heart explodes. Did anybody feel like this before? What is happening to me?"
"And [at that moment art is no longer] a luxury, it's actually sustenance. We [as humans] need it."
So — this leads to yet another question, which is, 'Why are children
so good at being creative?' What is their secret? Hawke says that "the pull of habit is so huge, and that's what makes kids so beautifully creative; they don't have any habits and they don't care if they're any good or not, right?"
"They're not building a sandcastle going, 'I think I'm going to be a really good sandcastle builder'. They just throw themselves at whatever project you put in front of them — dancing, doing a painting, building something — any opportunity they have, they try to use it to impress upon you their individuality."
This is why it is
essential that you give yourself permission to be creative within your industry and just
do it. Stop worrying or thinking, 'What if people don’t like it?' Just express yourself because that is how you will encourage and reach your target audience.
Here's a closer look at three brands that gave themselves permission to take their brand to the next level in terms of creativity. Ready? Let's do it:
1. Sound Idea Sessions
This event is all about being different from your average business conference; it's about mixing thought leadership with music and making it a fun and unique experience —
all while providing the attendee with important and useful tips and tricks.
So, did this brand just prompt its event on social media or a billboard? No, it took an unconventional route instead. They attempted to break a Guinness World Record to create
brand awareness and ensure people were
talking about the upcoming conference.
One of their main speakers is the one and only South African DJ Black Coffee, and so they created a coffee ground mosaic image of the artist. This created a
big buzz surrounding the event and, on top of that, it actually broke the world record and hold an official Guinness World Records™ title!
This brand shows just what heights are possible when you give yourself permission to be creative.
2. LEGO
We all know that LEGO has always been marketed to children, yet, "the first LEGO products branded
18+ appeared on shelves in summer 2020". So, how
on earth does a children's brand start focusing on products specifically for adults? Well, it
must be because it decided to no longer hold back with targeted creativity.
This works well, especially since the Millennial generation loves feeling nostalgic and probably played with LEGO blocks while growing up. It also allows adults to play and have a sense of calm coming over them as they are able to concentrate on what they are creating instead of the demands of daily life.
LEGO has many different sets for adults, which allows them to practice mindfulness and just have some
creative fun.
3. Maserati
Luxury car brand Maserati decided to stop attending car events because its brand was getting lost among other luxury car brands.
So, what was its alternative solution?
The brand started showcasing its vehicles at
airshows. This is
such a creative approach to take as other car brands never thought of doing this before. The brand's airshow stunt works
really well because it would be the
only car brand at the airshows. Plus, if people who might want to buy a private jet aren't able to afford it, they
might just look at getting a Maserati instead.
Neat tactic, right?
Creativity takes many forms and this brand showed it by doing something unexpected.
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What are some other reasons that you think marketers should give themselves permission to be creative? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.
*Image courtesy of Pexels