Can the Creativity Templates of "Quality Advertising" Also Predict Market Effectiveness?

Abstract: According to research by Jacob Goldenberg, David Mazursky and Sorin Solomon (“The Fundamental Templates of Quality Ads”, Marketing Science, 1999), there is a set of six fundamental creativity “templates” that can be identified in 89% of advertising that is judged as “high quality”. This study sought to answer the question: Does the identified set of “quality advertising” templates, as set out by the Goldburg study, show similar rates of success in awards that recognize not creative merit, but effectiveness? In particular, did the advertising in question obtain the Canadian advertising awards that are based on market effectiveness, the Cassies (the Canadian Advertising Success Stories awards). Results of the study indicate that only 71.4% of executions showed evidence of a template which is noticeably lower than the 89% in the original study.

This may have two possible explanations (and some interesting implications):

1. The business and practice of advertising has undergone a fundamental revolution as a result of the impact of new digital media technologies.
2. The effectiveness in advertising can be influenced by a range of factors entirely separate from the creative – such as timing, or a properly targeted media buy.

That said: a consideration of the templates ought to be a part of the initial ideation process when developing campaigns as almost three quarters of demonstrably effective ads use the existing templates.