We recently caught up with Jax Jung, Associate Creative Director of Cheil Worldwide, Seoul at AdFest in Thailand following her talk on making tech your BFF.
You may remember some of her work, including the highly-acclaimed and wonderfully important work on the Samsung Look at Me app for children with autism.
When did you first fall in love with the potential of tech in advertising?
I’m no tech guru. In fact, when I was working in New York, my job involved less apps and tech innovations, but more big TV and outdoor campaigns.
MORE: Samsung’s Touching Autism Campaign Wins Cannes Gold Lion Award
It was at Cheil Worldwide, working on Samsung, where I started to see the full potential of tech. It started with Look at Me, an app designed to help children with autism improve eye contact and social skills. Over the two years we spent on the project, I had to learn the tech from scratch, while collaborating with engineers, UX designers, strategists and more.
I saw first-hand how tech could dramatically enhance ideas. It could transcend stories and change culture or behavior. This encouraged me to immerse myself even more in tech.
Technology is as broad as it is deep. Where does one start?
Start by understanding that tech never is the solution. The idea always comes first. This is why engineers need storytellers, and insights specialists like us as much as we need them.
Speak to the digital strategists, engineers and UX designers. Involve them in the ideation process. Ask as many questions as you can. Experience is your school.
We need to educate clients so they know adequate time needs to be invested in developing tech solutions. Really, the first step is to try. Because if you never try, you’ll never know.
When we worked on BeFearless – VR experiences designed to help millennials overcome their fear of public speaking and heights – we collaborated with a VR gaming company. By collaborating with them, we could create an experience that was as fun as a game or social content, rather than frightening. I certainly learned a lot from that collaboration!
How do we sell tech solutions to clients who may be risk-averse?
When we started the Look at Me project, it was full of risks. The clients were very cautious about using children with autism. We knew we had to tread carefully. What convinced them eventually was that we relentlessly showed them that we had a very authentic, powerful human story to tell. And we ensured both the clients and the families that the project would be handled very sensitively.
Beyond being relentless and diligent, you also need good project management. Clients who are used to timelines with traditional media may expect the same short timelines with a tech solution. We need to educate clients so they know adequate time needs to be invested in developing tech solutions. Really, the first step is to try. Because if you never try, you’ll never know.
You’ve said that creativity in marketing needs to catch up to tech. What can we do to stay ahead?
We need to take ownership of our own tech education. And that inspiration won’t be found at our desks, or even in ad archives or marketing trade press. Try to look at news or current events, keep tabs on the latest developments in tech, and get familiar with all the latest applications of existing tech. But always remember to start with a story and insight. Without that, tech alone won’t be enough.
