Great Ads
I went to the hardware store the other day to buy some bolts and nuts… …and I ran into a clerk whose breath stunk worse than rancid roquefort. I needed help. But I couldn’t deal with this guy. His halitosis overwhelmed me. It hung like a dark cloud over Aisle 5 (bolts, nuts, etc.). I…
I mentioned last month how I scarfed down more than 37,238 cookies ā give or take ā over the holidays. And last year I made nine too many excuses NOT to workout. So this month, I’m back in my home gym — biking, rowing, lifting, sit-upping, and tread-milling. ā¬Ā Artist’s rendering of me after my work-outĀ ā¬…
I came across an oldĀ videoĀ of Steve Jobs talking about marketing… …and dishing out high praise for Nike. He said… “One of the greatest jobs of marketing that the universe has ever seen is Nike.” And then he explained: “Nike sells a commodity. They sell shoes. And yet, when you think of Nike, you feel something…
Sex sells. Always has. Always will. Take this modern day ad for Lindor truffles, oozing with innuendo:Ā “Taste the Lindor Truffle. Created with passion…Like nothing you’ve ever experienced.”Ā That would make Milton S. Hershey blush. But here’s the crazy thing… That Lindor spot and other ads released in our 21st-century, anything-goes, twerk-crazy world… …they’re nothing…
Fifteen years ago today (June 29, 2007), Apple released the first iPhone. The rest is… …you know. Here’s the thing about Apple: The company makes great technology, but what really sets it apart is the storytelling. So many great, story-powered ads. My favorite? One called “Bounce” — a 2019 ad for AirPods (ear phones). I…
When Dr. Ruth Allan asked me during a podcast interview to, ātell us about an embarrassing thing that happened to you,ā I didnāt hesitate. Iāve deposited piles of embarrassments in my memory bank. But Ruth was interviewing me during the first week in May, so I had to trot out the story of… My humiliating Cinco…
We lost a legend this week — Joe Sugarman, a copywriting great, who taught me (and countless others) tons about marketing. He wrote many great books, including The Adweek Copywriting Handbook. I pulled that book from my shelf yesterday and flung it open to the place I dog-eared long ago: Page 178. The section about storytelling.…
Iāve been helping one of my coaching clients Richard polish a print advertisement for his kitchen and bath remodeling business. Hereās the last line of the ad: āThatās why our average review on Facebook and Google is 4.92 stars out of 5.ā You may be wonderingā¦ āWhy 4.92?ā Hereās why: Because 4.92 is the EXACT…
A few years ago, my friend skipped his high school reunion because he was between jobs. He didnāt want to face his classmates while down on his luck. I get it. He dreaded that āwhat are you up to?ā conversation. He didnāt want to tell his story of dreams deferred. He wanted to be the…
In the most recentĀ Monday Mash-Up, I shared with you this ad from Apple which I love: Great visual storytelling. Great special effects.Ā Ā But as great as the “Jump” ad is, it’s not the greatest I’ve seen from Apple. This one, named “Bounce,” is even better: When Apple released this ad in 2019, I showed the ad…