Jared Leto on advertising: Make my life better or leave me the fuck alone
Jared Leto at Cannes; picture – Twitter
Oscar-winning actor and musician Jared Leto called on advertisers to create content that is useful and enriching – or avoid communicating altogether.
When brands advertise, the most important thing is authenticity, Leto told an audience of ad industry executives at the Cannes Lions today.
“Tell the truth and make my life more entertaining, better or richer – or leave me the fuck alone. Offer me something,” said Leto, who’s starred in films such as Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line and Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream and fronts the band Thirty Seconds to Mars.
“If it’s creative, it’s not advertising – it should be a conversation,” he said in a playful session during which he teased people who he spotted leaving the auditorium.
Leto played up the role of involving audiences when producing content, but took a swipe at consumer generated content.
“It’s great to give people the chance to share who they are. Let’s give everyone the tools, but that’s not a solution [to creating good content].”
“I want someone who kicks ass to direct my commercial, not my neighbour down the street,” he said.
He also stressed the that advertisers shouldn’t be overly concerned with the emergence of new media. “Just because TV comes along it doesn’t mean radio dies,” he said.
The need to fail is also key for creative people, the actor said.
“You have to fail, it’s the gift. You succeed more from failure than success. If you fail you learn.”
Robin Hicks in Cannes
No better place to gain insight than the world of a Hollywood actor!!!… these people are so used to having smoke blown up their fundamental orifice their views on most things are worthless
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