Showmanship & Transparency
Like most buzzwords “transparency” is most misunderstood by the very people mouthing it most often. The proper way requires transparency AND showmanship.
Bonding Not Branding
Let me tell you a cool story I think you’ll like — one that taught me the most powerful advertising lesson I’ve ever learned. See, when the radio-thon rolled around, my client put his personal money where his mouth had always been.
Four Advertising Message Options for Local Businesses
Bonding Ads don't sound like ads, which means your well-meaning family and friends will tell you not to run them.
Creating Powerful Persuasive Video on the Cheap
So many local TV ads end up being “talking head radio,” showing the business owner usually doing a “yell and sell” approach.
Building Tribes Takes Whisk(e)y
Building a tribe takes longer than Ricky’s stints in jail. You gotta be patient, and commit to the content for a long time. Way longer than you think it’s funny for.
Wizard’s Roundtable: Episode 2
The four things that need to be in every commercial, no matter what's going on in the world. And whether or not this is the time to renegotiate your media buy.
Say This. Not That.
The mad dash to make special “COVID-19” advertisements has been an unexpected boon for copywriters, producers, and graphic artists. But is it necessary?
4 Marketing Lessons from The Creative Revolution’s Most Legendary Whisky Campaign
The more creative and powerful the work, the more trust is required.
For All Your (Fill in the blank) Needs
When we hear cliches (and believe me, “For all your ____ needs” is the worst kind of adspeak) our minds simply switch off; we ignore them.
No script? No problem.
When she came to record her public service announcement (PSA) about how she saved her home from wildfire, she had no script. “No problem. Let’s talk. I’ll turn on the microphone.”
Make the Logo Smaller?
Advertising creatives and graphic designers groan at a client request to “make the logo bigger.” And both the request and the reaction are entirely understandable.
The 7 Most Common Media Buying Mistakes
Buyers are traditionally incentivized by media reps through overseas trips, cruises, event tickets, “golfcations,” etc. Even if YOU haven’t been bribed by these things, that doesn’t mean your buyer hasn’t.
It Ain’t Always About Creating Better Mass Media Ads
"Our job isn’t to do television commercials. Our job is to solve problems. And it may be that television is the answer, but it probably isn’t the only answer..."
C. F. Hathaway’s Formula for Maximizing a Small Ad Budget
David Ogilvy’s “The Man in the Hathaway Shirt” ushered in a new era of storytelling in advertising. The story, however, took place entirely in your imagination.
The Truth About “Creativity” In Advertising
In stark contrast to the notion of a “spoonful” of entertainment, most ads from highly successful branding campaigns are two-thirds to ninety percent entertainment.