David Simutis, Digital Media + Marketing Dir., The Gary Group

My muse best comes when:  I hate to say this, because I hate meetings, but the muse best strikes me in client meetings, hearing what their needs are.  Recently, we were in a meeting, talking about how rich media is one of the best places to have a conversation with customers.  Otherwise, it’s just the advertiser shouting at the audience.  But the goal is to have a conversation.  We came up with a totally unique custom ad format right there in the meeting – a rich media ad unit with a comments section!

My favorite brand experience:  My latest favorite was something we did for Sia, where we had 22 or 23 individual assets, and we basically put her entire album, along with videos and downloads, up in the ad unit.  It looked pretty spectacular and it was a great user experience.  The client loved it, and it was a huge hit with users.  We generally have Interaction Duration that is well over a minute, and the Sia ad was well, well, well above average.

What needs to be changed or improved in order to reach the ultimate engagement?

For me, the biggest challenge that I have right now is translating rich media to mobile. Everybody wants to do mobile.  Mobile, right now, is about where the Web was 10 yrs ago.  I don’t think that’s anybody’s fault – whether it’s slow connections or small screens or iPhones not having Flash.  We can dabble in it. But I think what’s holding us back is, people still find advertising on their mobile phone intrusive.  They find advertising in general intrusive.  And until we are creating ads that users want to see, we’re never going to reach that ultimate engagement.  We look at our campaigns not so much as “advertising” as “content delivery.”  If you’re putting the right message and the right content in front of the right audience, it will resonate.

Christiano de Abreu, Experience Director, Avenue A | Razorfish London

(Periodically, we will post interviews with prominent creative and media executives who are instrumental in bringing breakthrough advertising ideas to the Web.)

My perfect work day:  “We’ve just delivered our work to the client – the coding works, the client is happy, all of the creative ideas flow and we achieve what we set out to do within that day’s timeline.  Normally, given our perfectionist nature, we have to revisit things and make changes, which is frustrating. It would be perfect to have a day where everything just flows.”

My muse best comes when…“My muse comes when with I’m working with the team. Our work is collaborative – I like to hear everyone else’s opinion, work together and feed off each other. Sketches inspire everyone. Also just by talking/ going for a coffee outside and throwing ideas into the air – it’s a very creative process when I am amongst my team.”

My favorite brand experience:  “BHF – the British Heart Fund – was the best experience we had. We booked all the media and did all the strategy for creative. 19 million interactions! This was a breakthrough for us – media & creative conceptualized the campaign together…. The BHF had 3 executions of rich media, in addition to the video assets. The ad brings up a television screen with a little teaser video. We shot both, to make the whole thing work – it was a big collaboration and team effort. The client had never done anything like that online – they were delighted! That process was a big winner for us… Our next campaign is with Oxfam – we’re hoping to have the same approach and delivery.”

Creative Agency: Capital C

It may not be the newest one, but it’s a smart one.

Why do I like it? Because it makes an honest use of the vocabulary interaction can offer in order to convey a message, and communicate – with integrity.  As visual designers we are all familiar with the tool kit we get at school: Brand identity composed of colors, shapes, grid…composition.  When we began blending animation into the palette, we discovered that motion also has a vocabulary of its own – easing , tweens, effects – and that motion, when used wisely, can refine identity. Then came interaction, and with it came a whole new set of tools: navigation, feedback, direct manipulation, readability and usability.

Successful interactive advertising entails finding the right mix of all three. When the vocabulary of interactivity is not just another call to action, when it becomes a true instrument in the mix of good experience design, this, to me, is a happy moment.

Gefen Lamdan

Sr. Product Planning Manager | Creative Eyeblaster

Welcome to the new Creative Zone by Eyeblaster – designed to provide an interactive space for the world’s leading advertising professionals. 

We aim to inspire via the Client’s Work gallery, to provide a Forum where peers can network, and to supply the latest information that is key to creating effective digital advertising in the Resource Library.  This Blog will focus on the “Brand Experience of the Week”, using advertisements created by Eyeblaster’s clients to demonstrate best practices.  We will interview creative gurus and bring insights from our in-house experts.  Every week will bring examples of the latest and best creatives in the industry with tips on ‘why’ they worked and ‘how.’

We understand that the customer experience is at the top of your agenda – this Creative Zone is yours to explore, to learn, to critique and to communicate with those who share your passion to be the best .  Welcome!