With all the chatter out there vying for our attention — TV, radio, Internet, cell phones, billboards, direct mail, email, tweets, newspaper (for now), magazines, bumper stickers, your kid’s cereal box, the placemat beneath his Happy Meal, advertising space sold on every available inch of…well, just about anything— how does any messaging successfully cut through the din and make an impression?

Part of the challenge of developing quality creative is to not only to deliver salient messaging via appropriate vehicles, but also to do it in a way that is compelling — not just visually arresting and/or alluring, but conceptually resonant and memorable. A strategic marketing plan may be indispensible, but it’s useless without a creative vehicle that not only garners attention, but rewards it.

The Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI) came to Fixation ready to make a bolder statement with the creative for their annual PACK EXPO trade event. The campaign that we’ve developed this year introduces bold colors (coded by vertical market) to enliven photography, an energetic and contemporary typographic and design sensibility, and a pointed but flexible approach to messaging that, through series of “Because” statements, spells out very specifically and persuasively the issues and concerns of the industry. The look is a significant departure from not just what PMMI has done in the past, but from the way that the industry portrays itself in general. The “Because” approach to copy confers a touch of swagger while conveying important information in a businesslike fashion. Together, they articulate a vision and message that looks and sounds unlike other marketing efforts propagated in the industry.

Zigging when everyone zags may just be the way to get noticed — and perhaps make an important connection — amongst the dizzying information overload. Can giving voice to a unique idea or new expression be a little risky? Sure, but so is the risk of having one’s message un-consumed because it’s ordinary or forgettable. Who can afford to be ignored?

When there’s a lot at stake, the safe option can seem pretty appealing for obvious reasons. And if you’re operating on a recession-hammered budget and can’t afford Hollywood endorsements or elaborate photo shoots on glamorous sets, the challenge becomes even greater and the value of unique creative becomes all the more apparent. Given that there’s really only so much that each of us can process, blending in seldom emerges as the best option. Sometimes it takes a brilliant idea rendered in a fresh and fascinating way to cut through the clutter.