Why Campaigns Matter: From spark to story

Here at May & Avaline Studio, we’re becoming well-versed in the art of creating campaigns. We wanted to share why we think they are an essential part of brand identities across the board. 

So, let’s answer this simple question first:

What exactly is a campaign? 

You know we love an analogy, so this explanation should come as no surprise. Imagine a first date scenario – this represents a single (if you’ll pardon the pun) post or ad. It may be engaging and exciting, but a deep, sustained connection simply can’t be established straight away.

If the hypothetical first date goes well (lucky you), second, third and even fourth dates follow – these build interest and engagement that is more powerful and lasting as you really get to know the person. 

Yep, you’ve guessed it… this is exactly what a campaign does. It lets you tell your story and helps you to stand out from the crowded market. Oh, and get a little more attention – which never hurts.

Coincidentally, the way a campaign usually starts here at M&A Studio is eerily similar to how someone may react when they’ve developed a new crush (we clearly just love our jobs a little too much) – but let’s not get too carried away with the analogy. 

Campaigns may be sparked by an overly-excited voice note, detailing an idea months before it’s relevant, or by a sudden lightbulb moment on a random Tuesday, frantically typed, bleary-eyed, into the notes app at 1 a.m., ready to be deciphered the next day.

That little spark is then nurtured. Ideas are conceptualised and visualised as suggestions are thrown back and forth (and, let’s be honest, into the bin), made into collages and designs, and developed and revamped until the spark becomes a strategy. 

Like most things in life, this process reflects the age-old saying ‘what you give out you get back’. The more time and effort spent polishing an idea in the face of uncertainty, the more likely you are to produce something meaningful. 

We’ve realised the team here at May & Avaline Studio are visual thinkers. A huge part of generating the content for our campaigns is shaped by our design efforts in the early stages of conceptualisation. Take our recent spring campaign for example – the way we wanted to visually present our content influenced the information we shared. We had the end goal in mind -- to visually and conceptually capture the essence of spring in an engaging and unique way – and then reverse-engineered the details from the impact we wanted to achieve.

When design becomes part of the storytelling, it’s not just an aesthetic experience – it’s a purposeful one. 

Campaigns matter because they create a cohesion – they enhance brand memory and originality, guide creativity, and invite relationships and connections with audiences and clients alike. Usually guided by another motive, whether that is to raise awareness, support a cause or anything in between, campaigns act as a story, giving you something to follow, inviting you in, and, most importantly, giving you a reason to stay. 

Why do a campaign? 

The real question is: why not?

So, next time you see a campaign from the May & Avaline Studio team, you’ll know the secret behind its creative journey – that it probably started from a hushed, barely-decipherable voice note at 1 a.m.

The May & Avaline Studio Team