Articles Index
Great Advertising Needs Great Clients
Some say that these ideas are few and far between, and that advertising is 90% mediocrity and 10% brilliance. But those of us in the industry, on the creative side at least, know that brilliant ideas are born every day. Sadly, having a great idea is really only half of the battle. Getting the client to buy it, that’s a different story.
10 Articles Aimed Squarely At Advertising Creatives
Whether you’re brand new to the advertising industry, a veteran, or maybe still in college, there is always an opportunity to learn more, and improve yourself. If you’re looking to learn a little something, improve your thinking, arm yourself with ad knowledge, or just want to see how other creatives think, the following articles are for you.
Another 5 Creative Exercises
In a pervious post you were presented with 10 challenges to aid creative thinking. Now, it’s time to up the ante, with some problems that delve a little deeper, take a little more of your time, and perhaps a little more creativity. You obviously don’t have to do them all, but when you have a lull between projects and need something to keep your mind on its toes, these exercises a great place to start.
10 Articles To Help Your Advertising Agency Succeed
To combat the complacency, here are 10 articles to help your agency succeed. From improving feedback and presentations, to knowing some basic advertising methods, there’s a lot to sink your teeth into here.
Review: The Pitch Episode 2 – Waste Management
From the start, this 2nd episode of The Pitch felt very different than the first episode. Being reality TV, you can’t trust what you see; only what you believe. And I believe that some clever editing created a much larger story of conflict and desperation than was actually true. I’ll never know, but unless you work for either of the two agencies, or the production company, you won’t either. Read on for the complete review.
AMC’s “The Pitch” Episode 1 – The Battle for Subway
Riding on the critical success of Mad Men, AMC have mixed up the ever-popular reality TV genre with the gritty world of advertising. In this case, the advertising pitch in a show called “The Pitch.” Every week, two agencies will compete against each other for a big piece of business. And in this pilot episode, Subway was the fatted calf. The two agencies battling it out – McKinney, a mid-sized shop from North Carolina, and WDCW (better known as Wong Doody) from Los Angeles. Read on for the full review.
FAIL HARDER
FAIL and HARDER. Two words that, when placed together, create an idea much bigger than themselves. These two words are emblazoned on a wall at Wieden & Kennedy’s main office – an image made entirely of thumbtacks; over 100,000 of them to be more accurate.
One Quick & Easy Way To Do Better Work
There is no shortcut to talent and creativity. While you can always get better, and learn more, you need to have the raw ability to become a success in advertising. But over the years, one thing has proven more of a driving force behind great creativity than anything else. And that one thing is the deadline.
Use Opt-In, And Make Your Unsubscribe As Easy As Possible
Business owners may be rolling their eyes at this, but it makes good sense. If a customer wants to leave, he or she is going to leave. There’s no getting around it. Now, you have three ways you can handle this, and they will seriously affect the taste you leave in someone’s mouth. Find out what those three methods are.
Truth In Advertising
IN advertising, a clever image is all well and good, but what’s it saying? Lots of copy is fine, but how do you get people to read it? And continue reading? Sure, celebrity endorsements work, but what message will they communicate? There’s only one answer to all of those questions, and it’s something that is at the heart and soul of every successful advertising campaign. The truth.
Cut The Meetings
In the advertising and design industry, meetings are the fleas that come with the dog. Some people like meetings, a lot. Others hate them. Most people simply tolerate them, often hoping for a snack or something else to make the whole thing better. But the sad fact is this; most meetings are either completely unnecessary, or way too long.
The Top 10 April Fool’s Pranks Pulled by Advertisers
There’s a long history of advertisers and big corporations pulling April Fool’s jokes, and they continue to suck in consumers, readers, viewers, and radio listeners. To celebrate the tomfoolery, here is the Advertising channel’s top 10 April Fool’s Day pranks over the years.
Stock Photography
Say “stock photography” to anyone worth their salt in a creative department, and they will look at you with a mixture of contempt and fear. Mostly contempt. Despite stock houses making many millions of dollars from stock every year, most of the big agencies won’t touch it. But why is it so universally hated by the top dogs, and loved by smaller shops?
Giving Constructive Feedback
This edition shines the spotlight on something that not only improves the finished work, but the process, the agency morale, and the quality of the thinking involved. And what’s more, it costs absolutely nothing to implement. It needs no extra equipment. It needs little-to-no additional training. This force for good is constructive feedback.
Will “The Pitch” Finally Bring Real Advertising to the Masses?
The lens of reality TV is focusing on advertising in a new AMC show called “The Pitch.” And although all involved say the connection to Mad Men is purely a coincidence, it seems like a smart move on AMCs part to capitalize on the success and intrigue of advertising. But will it work?
Get To Know, and Use, AIDA:
AIDA is one of the founding principles of most modern-day marketing and advertising. In fact, it's often said that if your marketing or advertising is missing just one of the four AIDA steps, it will fail. While that's not strictly true (a branding or awareness campaign does not necessarily need the Action step) you need to know about AIDA, and use it whenever possible.
How To Write a Direct Mail Letter
Truly successful direct mail is targeted, says something powerfully (and memorably) and talks directly to the customer. And there’s no better way to engage in conversation than with a letter. Learn the basic elements of a successful direct mail letter.
Words For Copywriters
There will always be a need for carefully crafted, powerful and imaginative copy. And with the right words and phrases, you can help keep that copy alive and kicking. How many of these do you know, and use?
The Elevator Pitch
If you have an idea to sell and you meet a potential buyer, you need to jump on that opportunity and pitch it to that person quickly, and with confidence. A good elevator pitch can do wonders for your business or ad campaign.
When Taglines Get Lost In Translation
What happens when some of America's greatest taglines are put through the translation filter? It's not actually as cut and dry as simply hitting the translate button, due to different cultural references. We went through the advertising archives to find some of the best examples of tagline crash-and-burn.
The 10 Most Powerful Words in Advertising
Advertising has changed a lot of the decades, but certain words are as powerful today as they were so many years ago. Here then are the 10 words you should always consider using in your campaigns; and if you've been paying close attention, you'll realize three of them are actually in the headline and subhead of this article.
Consumers Love New, Even When It’s Old
Why consumers will continue to buy new products and services, even when they are just a simple refresh of something old.
How to Make Money with Google Ads
How do you make extra money using a blog or website that you already have? Google Ads. How much can you make?
The Advertising Awards That Matter
A list of the top six advertising, marketing and design awards that are actually worth the entrance fee. Win these, you win big.
QR Codes - The What, Why, How and When.
You may have noticed those small, checkered boxes gracing magazines, posters, billboards and even product packaging these days. They are called QR codes (the QR stands for Quick Response) and they're a type of barcode that allows someone with a mobile device to scan it, and be directed to a website or some other form of data. But where did QR codes come from, and how should they be used? Read on.