The Case for Creativity

Two decades’ evidence of the link between imaginative marketing and commercial success.

James Hurman

Debate in the advertising and marketing industries has raged for decades: do high levels of creativity make advertising more effective? Or is creativity just the folly of creative people looking to win their next award? The arguments of both advocates and cynics have until now been based on conjecture and anecdotal evidence. The Case for Creativity brings the debate to a conclusion, telling the story of two decades of international research into the link between creativity and business results.

The book includes comment and perspective from some of advertising and marketing’s leading minds, including Jim Stengel (former P&G Global Marketing Offcer), Jim McDowell (Mini USA CEO), David Lubars (BBDO Chief Creative Offcer), Tony Davidson (Wieden+Kennedy London Executive Creative Director), and IPA Consultant and leading advertising effectiveness researcher Peter Field.

About the author

James Hurman is Planning Director at New Zealand advertising agency Colenso BBDO.

One of the world’s most creative agencies, Colenso BBDO was named New Zealand Agency of the Decade for the 2000s by Campaign Brief magazine, and is part of the BBDO network, named network of the year by the Cannes International Advertising Festival, the Gunn Report and the Big Won report for several years running.

James was selected for the inaugural Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lions jury, is Chairman of the 2011 and 2012 New Zealand Effies, is a regular contributor to Idealog, New Zealand’s premier business magazine, and teaches strategic thinking at AUT University.