The 4 Pillars of Constructive Advertising

What is constructive advertising and how to achieve it, according to copywriting expert Carla González

Sooner or later, if you work in the field of advertising, these questions will pop-up in your head: does my work have any meaning? Can a publicist do more than just sell a product?

Advertising has evolved over time. We went from a simple "buy now" to campaigns that help discover, deepen, and expand a brand's universe through concepts such as "values".

In this context, we spoke with Carla González (@carlagoon), an advertising copywriter specializing in Branded Content and a Domestika teacher. We wanted to know what constructive advertising is and how it is made. We are talking about the kind of advertising that promotes values, takes a stance, and aims to benefit consumers and society. Carla, who has worked for brands such as IKEA, BMW, Vueling, Banco Sabadell, or Casio, shared some ideas and tips to rethink advertising as a business and our role within it.

These are Carla González's 4 keys to understand and create constructive advertising:

1. Yes, constructive advertising exists

There is not much going around, but there is some. I wish there was more! Advertising is constructive when it contributes something to society; when it uses its tools, its loudspeaker, to give visibility to a cause, to do good, and not only to sell products. We will not save the world with advertising, but we can try to fix it a little, fix some of the damage that advertising itself has done. Advertising has normalized "realities" that do not exist and has done a lot of damage to individuals and society. Now, you have an obligation to fix it.

2. Publicists can do a lot, but they can’t perform miracles

No matter how good the minds behind a campaign are, advertising will never be 100% constructive if the company behind it does not have those values ​​in its DNA. Being constructive is not a fad; it is not getting on the sustainability / inclusiveness / solidarity / ... train; it means being constructive, doing real things, and not just talking about it.

3. The tool for the job has nothing to do with budgets

The essential tool to build a constructive message is empathy. Empathy gives us sensitivity and understanding. Through empathy, we can see what is needed and how we can help. Then there is the need for the will to do it, for strength, for courage. Risking something for the common good. Because when a brand or a company positions itself in front of a cause, it is also putting its image and sales at risk.

4. Consumers know how to value brands that bet on values

According to a study carried out by Nielsen, 80% of consumers look for brands with values beyond quality or price. That means that companies that dare to go in this direction are on the right track. We have examples of this. These are two of my favorites:

Bodyform and the period taboo

In 2017, the British brand Bodyform dared to emphasize that period blood is red, not blue, as many brands resorted to when advertising products for feminine hygiene. It revolutionized the networks and the media quite a bit. It made me think of all the times I would hide a tampon in my sleeve to go to the bathroom. Period bleeding is surrounded by taboos. What need is there to hide such a natural and human thing? Many were horrified by the campaign, but the brand achieved much more than sales.

Brands united against bigotry

The campaign "Héroes de Hoy", by DDB, touched me deeply. It is a commercial born to deal with intolerance and social discrimination. They did this by bringing together several committed brands who sign the ad. The best thing about this case study, though, is that these brands got really involved. They created a platform to help social projects and NGOs. This is a great example of how to go from storytelling to storydoing, which is so important these days. It is good to give visibility to a problem or cause, but it is great to contribute something and try to solve it. People realize this and instinctively know how to value it.

Do you want to know more about what goes behind advertising messages? Would you like to learn how to craft them? You can do so in the Domestika course Copywriting: Define the Tone of Your Personal Brand, by Carla González.

If you have examples of constructive advertising that have impacted you or made you think, leave them in a comment at the end of this article. We would love to read about it!

English version by @angeljimenez.

You may also like:

- Copywriting Tutorial: 5 Key Concepts for Beginners
- What is Copywriting?
- Copywriting Do’s and Don’ts with Carla González