Live Issue... Asian creativity strives to retain its momentum

2008 was a vintage year for Asian creativity. At Cannes, India scored its first Grand Prix and China its first Gold Lion. Japan’s Uniqlo, meanwhile won the Titanium and Cyber Grand Prix, while the region dominated the Outdoor category.

It will be hard enough for Asia’s creatives to match these feats in 2009, particularly if - as many predict - awards budgets are cut. But the bigger question many face is how the downturn will affect creativity around the region this year, and what this means for future awards shows. 

One big issue in Asia’s creative industry is so-called ‘scam’ advertising. There is one argument that a recession could lead to more of such work. After all, a surfeit of creative talent sitting around twiddling their thumbs does not bode well in a region that is already awash with ‘proactive’ work. 

Asia’s creative leaders, however, think that the economic drought may actually reduce the trend for tremendous ideas on behalf of tiny clients. “Scam advertising will drop, but because it’s artificial it won’t drop that much,” says Publicis Asia chief creative officer Calvin Soh. 

Soh adds that the uncertain employment environment will neutralise scam’s obvious incentive: a higher profile leading to a better job. The net result could be that, as Lowe chief creative officer Paul Grubb says, “people start turning their talent to real things”.

“Agencies will not have the luxury of creative heavyweights who do not work on the big MNCs that pay the bills,” agrees Soh. “So expect a push in getting the work out for these big clients later in the year. Those who do will have career longevity.”

Whether the work itself will suffer also remains in some dispute. BBDO Guerrero Ortega chairman and chief creative officer David Guerrero notes that a client base that is already inclined to conservatism is even less likely to take the big risks that can lead to award-winning work. His belief is countered by Ogilvy Advertising president David Mayo, who says: “By definition, recession should drive creativity harder as every dollar will be under scrutiny and will have to work that bit harder.”

Although print and outdoor will still be Asia’s strong suits in this year’s shows, shifting budgets may see integrated and digital campaigns become more prominent in future years. 

“I think this year will be the year Asia starts producing more non-traditional campaigns,” says Soh. “Apart from Japan, Asia hasn’t really won in the digital, promotional, media innovation and DM categories in the international shows.” 

Though as Guerrero points out, shifting priorities are hardly exclusive to Asia. “We’ll see a higher standard [in digital] this year, but the problem is that as Asia improves, the rest of the world improves at an equally rapid pace.”

Perhaps the other key question when it comes to Asia’s creative success is what happens in Thailand, where political and economic uncertainty is hitting the industry hard. Soh argues that humour will remain the cornerstone of Thai ads, but that, “given the uncertainty and instability in Thailand, I suspect TV might not be as strong”.

Grubb, meanwhile, agrees that Thai agencies “have probably had their wings clipped a little bit”.

That said, one thing to bear in mind is that Asia is arguably suffering much less than other regions. Could this, then, be Asia’s big opportunity to stake its claim on the global stage? Mayo argues that Asian creativity could come out of the process stronger than ever. “Recession in Asia will bring out the best in the most entrepreneurial. The rules of natural selection still apply, but the difference in Asia is that we have more than our fair share of what Charles Darwin called ‘the fittest’.”