Walker’s new ad looks and sounds rather familiar… That’s because it’s a tribute to the legendary Budweiser ‘Wassup’ ad released in 1999.
PepsiCo’s in-house agency Sips and Bites explained: “The update stays faithful to the original’s tone and style, while reworking it for a modern audience with an unmistakably British flavour.” It’s an adaptation of an iconic work that went before. But it’s an interesting choice to create something new from something old. They call it “An homage to an OG, with our OG.” But it divides opinion. One viewer didn’t hold back on their thoughts:
But whether you think adaptations are trash or rather tasty, the marketing world is increasingly leaning on pop-culture references, celebrities and nostalgia.
What types of ‘adaptation’ are there?
Adaptation can be defined as the “act of changing something or changing your behaviour to make it suitable for a new purpose or situation.” (Collins Dictionary) And we’re seeing works of adaptation take many forms.
There’s the homage. As Walkers said they were doing, paying respects to something iconic in their own unique way. And this Spotify ad ‘continued’ the legacy of The Never Ending Story by celebrating that people still listen to the ‘Never Ending Story’ song every day. An insight only they can claim with their access to listening data.
Or borrowed interest. Leveraging the familiar to make a new point. Waitrose’s 2024 Christmas ad subverted the norm of soft, warm and cosy Xmas ads and borrowed from conventions of a murder mystery novel to dramatise the idea that their food was worth committing a crime for and it became their most successful ad ever.
Like De’longhi’s genius new ads that borrow phrases and conventions of showcasing and talking about tech (think fresh white backgrounds and produce angles) to make a bold claim that their coffee machines are actually computers. Perfect for avoiding tariffs and reinforcing how smart their coffee machines are in one punchy shot.
Then there’s being topical and reactive. Piggybacking on current culture and behaviours. And a great vehicle for this is the meme. “An image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by internet users, often with slight variations.” (Oxford Dictionary)
This meme, of THAT Coldplay kiss cam couple the internet wouldn’t stop talking about, adapts the style of Edvard Munch’s iconic painting The Scream to capture the horror of getting caught cheating LIVE on a Coldplay tour kiss cam.
Many brands piggybacked off the virality of this incident with newsjacking. Even Duolingo created social content offering a lesson in how to play it cool when caught on the big screen.
Why can adaptations be a good marketing tool?
Tapping into emotion
Of course, as marketers, it's our job to know how people tick. Adaptations often benefit from tapping into an existing fanbase of the original work (be that a film, story, song, advert or another medium) which can be a powerful marketing tool.
We are emotional things, we homo sapiens. Adaptations retell stories that are already known and loved, providing a sense of comfort and nostalgia. And in our messy, divided world, consumers are increasingly seeking comfort or escapism from brand experiences.
Easy viewing
There’s also solid science behind adaptations. We’re bombarded by new messaging and stimuli all the time. The human brain's preference for adaptation stems from its efficiency-seeking nature and the way it processes information.
Balancing risk and reward
All campaigns need to perform. But perhaps one stage where the pressure is really on for a home run is those Super Bowl half-time ads. It’s very interesting then that just 28% of Super Bowl ads incorporated nostalgic elements in 2015, but by 2023, that number rose to 45%. A professor from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business believes, “There appears to be a desire to derisk the Super Bowl by leaning more into celebrities, animals, popular music, and nostalgia.”
To capitalise on the broad audience in front of them to hit every part of the marketing funnel, as well as extend the conversation well beyond game day, with a long-lasting emotional connection to the brand, big brands often pull out the big bucks for celebrity endorsements. For example, Hellman's recreated THAT well-loved scene from the irresistibly nostalgic rom com When Harry Met Sally. But instead of groaning in pleasure to make her point to Harry, she’s genuinely in condiment heaven when she adds Hellman’s real mayonnaise to a bland sandwich. It felt like a seamless update, with the real cast, that made it naturally funny and joyful to watch. People loved it.
But what place or permission does a brand have to use someone else's creativity in pursuit of its own ends?
While advertisers have exclusive rights to their creations, technically, a brand has the freedom to adapt another brand's creative work, but this must be done ethically and legally. As their ad was a reimagination, Walkers wouldn’t necessarily have had to apply for permission from Budweiser. Some opinions have also been raised that as the Budweiser ad is so iconic, it now belongs to culture rather than the brand. Nevertheless, Direct copying could lead to copyright infringement, which in practical terms can lead to legal consequences.
On the flip side, perhaps some would argue Hellman’s did have some creative licence to use Harry and Sally because of the seamlessness of the adaptation and alignment with the brand? They would have applied for IP rights to iconic lines in the film and the use of the characters, too. This intentionality and care to do justice to existing pieces of movie magic likely drove the adaptation’s success.
The brand police: our audiences
But then, perhaps more crucially, there is damage to their reputation in the balance if a brand is seen to ‘copy’ or directly use another brand’s creativity. As brands, we are more accountable to our audiences than ever. Work needs to be executed in a unique and original approach that aligns with their brand values and their audience, otherwise it’s likely audiences will judge a brand or maybe even change their view on them entirely.
For many, the Walkers ad, while fun, just missed the mark of capturing a part of culture and a moment of genuine connection that the original ad did. Is having a cheeky packet of crisps while watching sport the same as settling in with an ice-cold beer? Then, in the position of piggybacking off another’s success, it could also be seen as diminishing their brand’s own creativity and energy.
Does it risk backfiring? Will the brand be accused of appropriation?
While tapping into the familiar can work wonders for brands when it truly aligns with genuine values. It can also backfire if done sloppily without sensitivity. We all have a favourite book where we don’t agree with the movie adaptation, right? If an adaptation falls flat in a marketing campaign, it can fail to engage. Or at its worst, it can damage brand trust and loyalty.
Adaptations without authenticity and nuance can appear soulless and out of touch. The Kendall Jenner Pepsi commercial came under fire for "trivialising protests”. The ad placed Kendall in amongst protesters and saw her give a Pepsi to an armed guard in a moment intended to echo the Pulitzer Prize nominated photograph ‘Flower Power’. But the socio-political context of the time was not ready for this comparison with a vague protest portrayed in the ad with no meaning. People felt like it was undermining timely protest efforts to stand up for Black Lives Matter and against Trump’s administration. Kendall as a figure was also not known to attend protests either. Her brand and Pepsi’s brand were not deemed to have rights to this adaptation.
Our quest for originality
But it’s a somewhat humbling reality that very, very few ideas are in fact truly ‘original’ and not an adaptation of some sort.
"There is no such thing as an original idea." As a species, Mark Twain believed that we are constantly building on what came before us: “inspired and driven by what we've seen and experienced.” You could say the drive of achieving true originality is the ultimate aim of every creative. Every agency working on every idea. That’s our value. Something we have thought of that no one else has. That makes our clients stand out for the right reasons.
Adapt to drive new frontiers
When George Lucas created Star Wars, he fused the best of science fiction with old-time stories of the battle between good and evil. Apple did not create tablet computing. They took the concept of tablet computing and reimagined it to be wafer-thin and look great. So there’s a key lesson here. It is the reimagining of several elements that came before and combining them in beautiful new ways that opens up true creativity that can break boundaries.
With the perks and perils outlined. Let’s look at how to make your adaptations great.
Five tips for great adaptations
1. It’s a lens, not the main idea
References or nods to the past or familiar elements work best as devices, not as THE idea. For example, promoting sensitive washing powder in the style of a children’s story book to emphasise its suitability even for little ones to use.
2. It’s not about budget. It’s about the execution.
A low budget take on a high budget bonanza can be inspired or cringey as hell. No amount of budget can make an adaptation. It has to be carefully crafted.
Like this Forest Gump in one minute film, one would argue it is made by the humble, lower-budget approach, but also the fact that it is filmed in one take. It’s charming and funny.
3. Pack your layers
A trends analysis of more than 500 Super Bowl commercials from the past decade revealed the growing trend to create ads that have multiple layers of meaning for different generations in the audience. They aim to entertain at face value for younger generations while delivering some extra delight for viewers who remember the original pop culture moments with joyful nostalgia. “The power of connecting today’s ads to cherished moments in the past can help elevate the ads.” Think about how your message might translate differently to each generation.
4. Know your stuff
One type of adaptation we can learn from is transcreation. A “specialised form of translation that focuses on adapting content for a new market while maintaining its original meaning, intent, and emotional impact.” (Wikipedia) It requires a great deal of knowledge of the original source and sensitivity to it. For example, Shakespeare is transcreated successfully all the time into modern-day contexts to make the timeless drama more accessible. Think Taming of the Shrew as 10 Things I Hate About You.
5. Think outside the sector box
Get out there and be exposed to as much as you can. Join two things together that have never been thought of in the same breath before. You’ll be on to a winner. For our work for Bank of Scotland’s Student Account, we borrowed from the gaming sector with character scenarios and action-driven copy and stickers to appeal to today’s students and create fresh banking comms.
In conclusion
Personally, the line between imitation being the greatest form of flattery (and great work) and lazy copycats for me, is the adaptation being the spark that allows you to say something new in a new format or sector rather than something you slot into. When the subject matter in question and the format are the same, it feels too close, too easy to run with an idea that already exists. But when you take one familiar element in a new direction? That’s brave, that’s experimental, a moving of boundaries and where the magic happens for me.
So, don’t copy. Be inspired selectively. And with purpose. What new things can you create by being prompted by non-obvious sources? It’s important for creating work that’s as original as it can be.
And have a think. What have you enjoyed adapting recently? Or have you seen an amazing adaptation? Or has this sparked an idea for a campaign? We’re all ears. Get in touch.
