Great brands rely on imaginative repetition

So, does this imply that originality and novelty are bad for brands? Not at all. In fact, let me be very clear: this is not an argument for staying still, for familiarity, for cliche, for generally poor advertising, or for resisting change when it’s needed. But it is a plea for the right type of originality. John Bartle, one of the founders of BBH, puts it very well when he uses the term ‘imaginative repetition’ to describe what he believes great advertising should be. Originality, creativity and novelty are absolutely critical to create successful advertising, but the originality is required in the way that the assets are used and reinforced, not in the unnecessary and recurring reinvention of brand assets themselves. And that’s no easy task; arguably, it requires even greater creativity and imagination.