Making a Fortune With Magical Thinking
The prop “blaster” wielded by Harrison Ford in Star Wars just sold at auction for $1,057,500. Why? Emotional Attachment.
Do Annoying Commercials Accomplish the Right Goals?
Obnoxious ads get people to know who you are, but they neither develop fondness nor instill trust in your brand.
Accelerated Branding through Slang, Cheap Psychology, and Earworms
By tapping into the power of tribe and self-identity, GGT spiked brand awareness and sales for Toshiba.
Once upon a time…
Great stories have three principal roles: hero, victim, and villain. These roles need to be filled: Prince Charming, Stepmother, and Cinderella.
How to “Pick Up the Pace” with Your Branding Campaign
Jingles, sound effects, or just interestingly pronounced phrases stick in our brains with amazing power and longevity.
Origin Story: How Your Story Should’ve Successfully Been Told
Most ads don’t work. Why? They’re missing the key ingredient.
The world’s most honest used car salesman
I like making people the hero in the ads. People are more interesting when they stop pretending.
5 Hard Truths About Advertising Every Business Owner Ought to Know
Your ads are an annoyance to your future customers. Unless you make yourself otherwise.
Who you gonna call?
Halloween 1985 would have been forgotten if Chris hadn’t brought the Roman candles. But in business, Remarkability and Memorability are often rejected for the safe.
Doubling Down on Schtick That Sticks
It’s been over 40 years — and I can still sing the lyrics. Here are my quick and dirty takeaways.
The Heart of a Wiener Dog: Character Diamonds
Most business owners are hesitant to share anything remotely vulnerable through their advertising. But wiener dogs have no fear of looking ridiculous.
Forget TL;DR — it’s TB;DC you gotta worry about!
The art of ad writing requires the creation of ads that work even for an audience that’s half-paying attention.
Once a Wiener… Repurposing the Proven
Peter: How is it that I’m going to tell people the story of the wiener dog? Roy: Ok. It’s actually, it’s called cheating.
Piña Coladas & Persuasion
This is what separates the heroes from schmoes in branding: The ability to use entertainment & humor to drive home the message, rather than obscure it.
Time To Get Crazy
I stand against best practices because it locks you into a way of thinking. You do not defeat the leader by following their playbook.