Brands build on "ads" are always chasing trends and trying to spend to stay relevant. Brands built on differentiated value build value like compounded interest while still allowing you to try new language and creative as needed.

oca-Cola spends $4.4B a year to associate Coke with "happiness." But you never see many commercials that say "happiness." You get Santa and polar bears and first dates, things that signifies happiness without having to state it outright. That's a strategic brand: their position is clear and informs their creative, which can take many different forms and change overtime.