by Thabang Leshilo (@Thabang_Leshilo) There is a global cultural shift in social perceptions and behaviours which is expected to have a powerful impact upon the future. The glossy world is being discarded, the reality of people rejecting perfection and abandoning their immaculately curated online selves. Instead, the gritty is becoming aspirational — genuine candour valued as people seek out interactions that are authentic and open.
Already, the impacts of this shift — Frank Reality* — are being seen in the world of brands and marketing.
One example is Lena Dunhams’ HBO series, Girls, which speaks to a generation of young women in a very real and candid way. Beyonce’s 7/11 video is another.
Home-made style
Shot in the style of a home-made visual, with the singer dancing at various locations in a sweatshirt and knee pads, the video is a refreshingly different take on the flashy world of celebrity and, even though meticulously edited, giving us a glimpse into her life offstage. Inspired by superfood kale, twerking, GoPros and her adoring fans who often create choreographed home videos of themselves dancing to her music, she has simply tapped into the ‘real world’.
The critical aspect for marketers tapping into Frank Reality is achieving the seamless ease and authenticity Beyoncé pulled off because — for millennials — the economic reality of our lives, and greater exposure and knowledge of the world around us, have rooted us in substance. We recognise what’s real.
Admittedly, Beyoncé wasn’t the first to ‘get real’ and embrace a very true documentary style. Electronic music star Major Lazor’s “Get Free” video, directed by SoMe, took the viewer on a candid journey of Jamaican culture. This was followed by Major Lazor’s dancer Mela Murder and friends vogue through NYC in Clayton Vomero’s GANG film, simply but beautifully capturing a 24-hour journey in life.
Emerging in South Africa
In South Africa, we’ve seen the emergence of photography trio I See A Different You, documentary film maker Leboghang Ratsebe and musician KO’s Caracca. All produce content that reflects a young and fresh perspective on real life in SA, a perspective that cannot be generated using stock footage.
Oh, yes, bye-bye stock footage and heavily scripted TV commercials. Messaging that simply pushes product will increasingly prove ineffective in reaching out to consumers, particularly young audiences who have grown up with the noise pollution that is generated by the media… and are consequently very good at tuning out.
More and more, we will see consumers rejecting superficial messages and responding only to real authentic stories that embrace imperfection and honesty in all channels, both off and online. Take Smirnoff’s recent launch into other African markets; it had an edgy advert that took the audience on a thrilling journey into the heart of Accra.
Time, money and effort
So gone are the days of stiff, stock photography. Creatives will need to invest more money, time and effort into drawing inspiration from real life and collaborating with other content creators to bring different art forms together. They must strive to let photography meet art films and music, in their purest and most provocative way, to capture the nuances of the real human experience.
What with storytelling having become one of the most valued and impactful principles within the world of brands and communication, it’s not only about telling more emotive stories about your brand — it’s about telling real stories that reflect real life with what feels like real characters. This is what consumers will be inspired by in the future.
Not picture perfect.
*Frank Reality is the term devised by Added Value to describe the global cultural shift in social perceptions and behaviours.
Thabang Leshilo (@Thabang_Leshilo) is a project manager at strategic marketing consultancy Added Value. As a ‘next-generation’ marketer with fresh and curious eyes looking into the industry, she has a keen interest for brands that are culturally in tune with and able to integrate and immerse themselves into the everyday realities of the consumer. She contributes the monthly “Tuned” column, sharing marketing insight and analysis, to MarkLives.
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