Lesson 5: The Ability to Understand

Apart of being human is the ability to feel pain, care for loved ones, fear violence and etc. These are called universal human values, and for Jose Miguel Sokoloff and his creative team, these values helped de-mobilise millions of Colombian guerrillas.

Before a series of advertisements were broadcasted, Sokoloff went through a series of research involving the review of government documents, policies, interviews and events. One of their original strategies to disarm guerrilla commanders was to broadcast messages on speakers, however, their initiative failed. Through more vigorous research and reflection, the team concluded demobilisation happens the most during Christmas.

Taking this opportunity, Christmas lights and messages were installed on 5 trees in the forest.

What makes this campaign noteworthy was Sokoloff’s initial research. Without fully understanding the demographic/psychographic of Colombia’s guerrillas, the “advertising campaign” would fail to reach its target audience. The information gathered, the willingness to correct their advertisements and humanising the insurgents, convinced many guerrillas to leave the jungle. It argues, for effective communication, it is important to clearly identify who, and how the message is delivered.

As communication students, our practices should not be made based upon gust instincts or guesses. Rather, the most appropriate way to deliver a message to a crowd is to understand what they want to hear.

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“Incorporating human values into our messages is something only a person could do,” we tell ourselves. However, in Ricki’s article Will robots replace the advertising creative?, the author argues that artificial intelligence (AI) will eventually catch up to human creative standards.

An AI developed by PingGo Scotland is on the verge of a machine that is able to generate public relation press releases. Though the technology is far from perfect, these software licencing rates and quality are gradually improving.

For us communication and illustration students, the integration of AI will reduce mundane tasks like writing these blog posts or colouring in a logo. In the near future, we must embrace AI in our work environments to achieve greater efficiency in our communication.

However, there is no guarantee that the machines will continue to chip further into our professional practises.

As of right now, robots have mastered the art of bipedal walking. Sooner or later, robots may master the art of being human.

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Ricki Green, March 2 2017, Will robots replace the advertising creative?, Campaign Brief. Viewed on 28 November 2019, <https://campaignbrief.com/will-robots-replace-the-advert/>

How Christmas Lights Helped Guerrillas Put Down Their Guns, October 2014, TED video, Jose Miguel Sokoloff, Viewed on 28 November 2019, <https://www.ted.com/talks/jose_miguel_sokoloff_how_christmas_lights_helped_guerrillas_put_down_their_guns?language=en>