IAB UK enlists giant bear cheerleader to spark more creative digital ads

Online industry body IAB UK is setting out to persuade advertisers to “rediscover the joy of digital advertising” – aren’t they ever satisfied? – with a new campaign from agency Now featuring an addition to the C-suite, the Chief Digital Cheerleader.

In the guise of a (mostly) friendly but very large bear – Joy – addressing some of the issues advertisers might have about digital ads.

The campaign follows a survey from Walnut Unlimited of over 400 agencies and brands to get in an in-depth view of advertiser attitudes to digital. One finding was that human creativity was felt to have limited value in digital, with the industry moving too fast to keep up with.

IAB UK CMO James Chandler says: “A 200 kg bear probably isn’t what springs to mind when you think about a B2B campaign for the digital ad industry – but Joy actually has a lot more in common with digital than you might think. Both are a bit overwhelming on the face of it, perhaps a little misunderstood, but both have an incredible amount to offer once you get to know them.

“We know that advertisers are spending on digital channels, but do they feel positive about it? The honest truth is that they’re daunted by the pace of change in the industry and are constantly battling a feeling that they need to be investing in the next newest tech to make an impact. This campaign is about addressing that unease, encouraging advertisers to use digital channels confidently and creatively and – ultimately – to spark some joy.”

A win for IAB and Now.

MAA creative scale: 8.