The Year in Creativity, 2020
Highlights from a turbulent 12 months, and what's next
The Drum - Tim Nudd
It's been a year of extremes, in just about every sense. And so it's been in advertising, too, where a stunned industry adjusted in days to a whole new way of working as well as radically shifting client needs, all against the backdrop of a global pandemic, the fight for racial justice, and a bruising U.S. election that further divided an already-bitter country. In this climate of fear, many advertisers, not knowing what else to do, made predictably anodyne work. But others, boxed into the same corner, just as predictably did what they always do—found their way out through creativity, and delivered resourceful, inventive, entertaining and truly emotional work that met the demands of the moment, in marketing and beyond. As we wrap up a year to forget, we asked a group of top creatives to pick the work to remember—and to suggest where we might go from here. Thanks to all who contributed, and here's to a brighter 2021.
Husani Oakley
Chief Technology Officer, Deutsch
Project I'm proud of
I'm proud of a lot of the work we've done this year, but in this tumultuous year, what I am most proud of is Deutsch NY's partnership with the School of Visual Arts (SVA) on a program called "Fund the Change." Along with other initiatives to level the playing field for people of color in this industry, we're putting our money and our time where our mouths are with a scholarship and year-round mentoring program. Fund the Change (which comes with guaranteed paid summer internships) is our investment in developing future advertising leaders, and I couldn't be more pleased.
Project I admired
TikTok users recently crowdsourced ideas for an imaginary Broadway musical—within days, songs and choreography were written, sets designed and playbills created. Not long after, Disney's official Twitter account acknowledged the movement, dubbed #RatatouilleTheMusical, and transformed it into a real-life benefit performance planned for Jan. 1. This is the magic that can happen when people who've grown up with the tools of creation in their pockets turn ideas into incredible executions. #RatatouilleTheMusical isn't agency work … but damn, imagine if it had been?
A prediction for 2021
It may not feel like it, but creativity thrives when limitations exist. And boy, 2020 has been a year of limitations. Indeed, 2020 has been an annus horribilis, and we'll be dealing with the ramifications for decades to come—but I expect 2021 will bring us stories we haven't seen before, told in ways we're just experimenting with now. Sure, the continued rise of A.I. out of adtech/martech and into the actual creative process will drive change, but what excites me is the possibility of a human creative renaissance.
