Spikes Asia 2019: Mining your 'emotional data'

Josy Paul, chairman of BBDO India, says data may be important, but when looking to inspire others, there's no better place to look than the emotional truths deep within yourself. 

Earlier in the day, on stage at Spikes Asia, Paul spoke about how creatives should not allow themselves to be completely distracted by external noise and inputs in a world full of data and research.

Just as important, he argues, is the need to dig deep, to tap one’s own inner feelings and experiences, which more often than not will be relatable and human to everyone else.   

To make this source of inspiration more palatable to strategists, Paul packaged them up in terms more relatable to the industry lingo of today. One’s inner feelings, he called ‘emotional data.’ 

To Paul, the promise of AI lies in the ‘Artist Inside’ who can move from ‘insight’ toward ‘incite’- starting movement that others can relate to and participate in.

Along the way, Paul shared his own story about how he incited a ‘monument of sound’ based on his gut emotions to mark the anniversary of the Taj hotel terrorist bombing in Mumbai because the traditional print ad he was asked to write simply was not inspiring.

He also shared advertising examples of real emotionally inspired work, including Ariel’s ‘Share the Load’, Visa’s ‘Saree School’ and Mumbai Mirror’s ‘I Am Mumbai’ campaign.