It’s Too Bad Most Ads Are Garbage
bigbuzz September 9th, 2009
I noticed this headline this morning In Advertising, Stupidity Can Win You Awards mainly because it fits my attitude toward most advertising. I’ve been in one form of media for over 25 years, add an additional 15 if you count growing up with a career radio dad. I hate to say it but over those years advertising has made virtually zero gains.
I’m talking about the presentation, the message offered to the audience. Of course we’ve seen advancement in the delivery methods and the number of ways to reach the public, I was faced with a 4’ x 5’ ad for Mt Dew in a frame zip tied to a fuel hose as I filled up my car the other day. Is that an advancement?
We are each bombarded with 5,000+ ads each day it’s too bad they are mostly garbage.
What is it that makes ads garbage. On the larger stage, that of national and international campaigns we too often run into creative’s with clout. These are well known names, award winning teams, who value the awards and recognition but too often forget the purpose of the ads. On the local stage we run into uneducated sales reps who do what everyone else does, over worked copywriters and designers who crank out one stale ad after another. Both are often faced with know-it-all clients who dictate what is included in the ads and spreadsheet management that sees spending too much time on creative as counter bottom line.
An additional for better ads is the pressure for status quo. If their ad does not sound like, look like, feel like their competitors, and everyone else’s, the belief is that it is not good. Poop!
Ads can be creative but the creative can’t distract from the client message and not sell the product. Remember the “Dogs Love Trucks” campaign for Nissan, or was it Toyota, I don’t remember. It won awards. It was cute. But nobody cared and truck sales took a dive.
Ad development does not have to suck life out of a bottom line. When done well ads will increase the bottom line by keeping clients and gaining more.
If you are a local ad rep learn, read, write, design, practice. Become the person known in your market for great creative and happy clients with growing businesses. The time you spend learning will pay off hugely.
If you were wondering about the stupid ad and didn’t follow the link here it is. It’s tasteless and insulting to New Yorkers and everyone in the US.
WWF stupid ad
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