Over time, I’ve observed executives who believe an article in the paper, a speaking engagement at a tradeshow, or a creative press release will instantly draw them into the perpetual limelight.
Sadly, public relations is one of the most misunderstood and undervalued disciplines by top management. It’s a frightening thought considering that PR is the single most important marketing tool for building brand and steering public perceptions.
As designers and communicators, our goal for any client is to build a brand that speaks to an audience. We are hired because our clients have something to say, and they want to look great, command respect, and raise their bottom line while saying it. Given a varying set of constraints such as time, budget, and demographics, we pull together our collective experience to meet deadlines and produce stellar campaigns.
Adjustment to constraints is often a challenge, but can also lead to a more creative end result. However, there is one challenge that rises above the rest. When a client retains our expertise, we are often required to step into an additional role—educator.
What immediately comes to mind is Charles Schwab’s “Talk to Chuck” campaign. TV spots were used to introduce the campaign and printed advertising has been leveraged to reinforce the message. The graphical technique and copywriting used for the creative and message are what make this campaign stellar; allowing it to standout amongst Schwab’s competition. Videos of thought provoking, client testimonials were shot. The video footage was then animated using a blocky, avant-garde technique. The result was a seemingly realistic, attention grabbing, animated commercial that ended with the catch phrase “Talk to Chuck” as a call to action for financial services.