Evolving vs. Reengineering Campaigns

Have you ever thought about old, classic advertising? There are numerous campaigns which have had a lasting effect, long after they have stopped running and the brand has moved on in another direction. A few years ago,  Alka Seltzer and Orville Reddenbacher brought back some of their old and well-known advertising, for good or bad (Digitized Orville was creepy).

Sometimes I wonder if in fact, we push to change ad campaigns well before they are ready to go and die in a back shelf somewhere, only to satisfy our own needs to create. Of course, someone told these brands that their advertising was stale and needed to be refreshed. And in some cases this may be true. But I don't think in all instances. There maybe new ways to update a solid thought behind an ad campaign that could continue for a long time.

There is strength in consistency and sometimes too often marketing and advertising messages are changed for no real reason. Usually it's because a new ad agency has acquired the account and wants to put their mark on it with something new and shiny. And that's all fine and dandy, but that can also be done by continuing on the path set up by a predecessor as well.

In some instances, if the idea was big enough, all it takes is evolving the concept vs. starting over from scratch. The ideas that are based on a truth that still exist can still survive. But if the truth has changed, then the idea needs to as well.