South Africa, March 3 -- The same point where children trade imagination for the ordinary is where brand stories become spreadsheets. Looking at the raw creativity of children and un-ordinary adventures of green eggs and ham, do we have an opportunity to turn brand stories into invitations to see the world differently?

Not pulling the cat out of the hat and bringing bland to the table comes at a cost. Bland is neither here nor there, it's down the line and dull. But creating a dull advertisement isn't more cost effective than creating an engaging one. The difference is that it doesn't deliver a return, it just delivers indifference. So, we've spent good budget creating no brand emotion or reaction. This diminished reaction drives below a...