Alastair Crompton put it well and simple in his book Craft of Copywriting: "If you have something to say: say it. If you have nothing to say: use showmanship." Today the latter basic strategy would be a wise choice for many brands. Too often there's nothing unique or truly different about products and services. If so, my advice would be to communicate the company's identity in a compelling way. That is to say: if your organisation has an interesting idea about it's position in the world of customers. If nothing else works: use showmanship. Be interesting. Like Docomo. What to say about a wood cased cellphone? Well, if you use showmanship, it's something like this:
Even if you are IKEA, what interesting things can you say about kitchens?
Or about closets?
So, if you have nothing truly interesting to say about your brand, product or service: use showmanship!
And here's the equally amazing sequel with the man your man could smell like - though, he switched the horse for a bike. Great copy too: Smell like a man man. I'd almost buy Old Spice now. That might sound deadly given the intentions of advertising. But just consider where they came from. Getting from negative to neutral is mostly a hell of job. Getting to almost positive enough to buy is fantastic. I'll wait for the next ad. Maybe they'll get me so far as buying old spice. And if so: I'll be man enough to share that with you ;-)
If you didn't know the campaign; number one is below.
With the European Championship Soccer 2008 going on, we are being confronted day in, day out with brands trying to benefit from the excitement around the event. The theme is either the heroism of the players, the excitement of the fans or flat out sales promotion. And where the first theme can lead to great advertising and goose bums, the promotional route often leads to tear jerking bad communications. One of my personal favorite topical ads made exceptional use of the event. A couple of years ago Amstel Beer ran the well appreciated "three friends" campaign. And for the occassion of a big international soccer tournament Willem van Hanegem joined the three friends in the Amstel ads.
The most brilliant commercial - at least, that's my opinion - was the one broadcast directly after the lost match that sent the Dutch team home. It opened on the outside of a common family home and the only thing the viewer saw was a TV set being kicked through and out of the window on the first floor. Twenty seconds later the three friends and Willem van Hanegem leave the front door. When we see them from the back Willem is showing a very clear limp when he walks away. Even the negative emotion of a lost tournament can be used to bond brands and people. I think it was as strong as it was unexpected. Most brands pull out when the positive excitement is gone. Amstel proved that with sponsoring and advertising you can even build on negative emotion. Unfortunately I couldn't find a copy of the commercial. If you have one or know where it can be found, let me know.
Apart from the fact that the enchanting sound of this commercial commands my attention every single time I hear it, it makes me wonder. Would this commercial be as strong with different music?
A one way film to bring a message about dialogue. Mmmmm... Funny format. Though I wonder what happens if this story is brought in a more dynamic, interactive way.
Last week no less than 1.2 million Dutch people have been watching the broadcast of the 2006 Gouden Loeki, the Dutch audience award for TV advertising. I'm not much of a fan of statistics and figures for the sake of figures, but 1.2 million is an awfull lot on a total population of let's say 10 million adults. These people were watching commercials for over an hour... They did not go and get coffee. They did not leave for taking a leak. They did not zap away. They deliberately tuned in to a programme that was all about and celebrating TV commercials. Is advertising really dead? I don't think so. Yes, crap advertising lies six feet under and old school advertising is its neighbour. But well crafted great ads can still steal the hearts of the audience. (No, the length of my nose remains unchanged...)
It seems that old school advertising is rapidly dying now. And with old school advertising I mean the kind that tries to capture attention and then imposes some kind of claim or bold promise. Most of the time something that makes the people behind the brand or product feel good or proud rather than tapping into the lives and minds of its prospective users. In my opinion the on-line company Spotzer.com has started digging the grave. They now make it possible for potential advertisers to buy a commercial at € 500.-. Yes, you got it right: € 500. Actually, you rent the ad. You just select a ready produced video clip that in some way has a connection to your product, brand or what you like to say. Then add your claim and company name and logo. And off you go. In thirty minutes time. You just entered the magic world of advertising brands. Getting a decent logo will probably cost more time and money ;-) Old school advertising is now on sale. I couldn't have thought of a better way to kiss it goodbye.
I found this classic in The Art Direction Book. The typography is the idea. Reading it comes quite close to a bit of an experience. The demonstration of a point. I love this simplicity. Art: Paul Arden.
I think strategic planning is much about finding a convincing, compelling or at least interesting truth. Something the people you are trying to connect with will embrace. Some notion, vision or thought that could elicit a response like "...and THAT's exactly how it is!" The fresher the thought, the better. Yet the quest for freshness of thought often ends with far fetched and constructed ideas. This French AIDS prevention commercial (TBWA/Paris) is, in my opinion, a good example of great strategic thinking - i.e Truth finding. For it isn't particularly easy to convince youth of the clear and present danger of AIDS/HIV. If you talk to youngsters you will find out that they all aspire to have an exciting active sex life (inspired to search at the fringes; just look at MTV...). And at the same time they share a quite oldfashioned hope to get married, have kids and start a family life. "Live long enough to find the right one." That's the clever truth of this commercial - clever because it unites two different and seemingly contradictory worldviews (I want lots of sex AND I want to settle in the end). Great execution, too!
Update: This commercial is a sequel; find the (first) girl version here. (thanks Yves)
They sell instant fashion copied straight from the catwalk. If you wear the stuff a couple of times is gets out of shape. Color washes out straight away. Yet, everybody loves H&M. And with reason. After flings with superstar Madonna and couturier Karl Lagerfelt, H&M entered a new love affair with the successful Dutch designer duo Viktor & Rolf. This is how you make a brand cool. Bravo! See Dutch women loot the Amsterdam H&M store, this afternoon. Or shop on-line.
Chip Heath: Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die I found this one of the better books on the hot topics of storytelling and engagement. Where many authors present a couple of far fetched characteristics, the Heath brothers come up with insightful observations on what makes a remarkable story. (****)
Alastair Crompton: Craft of Copywriting This referencebook is as much about the craft of advertising as it is about copywriting. Although is was first published in 1979, it contains many truths still valid today. Reading a book like this helps shifting hype and Zeitgeist from intrinsic laws. My copy came from an anonymous technical college library and it was never opened. I'm glad that I did. (***)
Bob Gill: LogoMania I quite liked this booklet. In a witty, direct style it provides some insight into the art of design concepts. Interesting to anyone with a broad interest in communication arts. Gill demonstrates some fresh thinking. (***)
Malcolm Gladwell: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking After the Tipping Point, this book is quite disappointing. The idea of Blink moments is interesting. But Gladwell doesn't make as strong a point as with the Tipping Point. His examples demonstrate both the accuracy as well as great failure of people to judge correctly in a blink. (**)
Seth Godin: Purple Cow Triggered by All Marketers are liars, I expected a lot from this book. I found it a bit disappointing. After classics such as Eating the Big Fish, Blue Ocean Strategy and Disruption, Godin fails to add something significant. All American brand examples don't make it better for a European reader. (*)
Martin Lindstrom: Brand Sense Maybe I expected too much of this book. I think there's more to sensory branding. Yet it contains a couple of comprehensive tools and pointers. (**)
Cooper: How to Plan Advertising Although this book was written in the late eighties, most of its contents still hold true. A valuable source book for those who take strategic planning seriously. (****)
Robert Greene: Concise Art of Seduction Recent brain research leads us back to the belief that seduction is stronger than argument. This booklet offers an inspiring overview of types of seducers and ways of secuction to get your thinking started. (**)
Crispin Porter + Bogusky: Hoopla An entertaining book about an entertaining agency that turned branded entertainment into an art. I much admire these guys for their contribution to the (r)evolution in advertising. (***)
Pim van den Berg: Ondernemen is een Straatfeest Inspiring book by a Dutch guy who invented 'street-o-logy'. Or: the fine art of observation and surprise. (***)
Tom Himpe: Advertising is dead, long live advertising A very helpful inventory and analysis of an art that in full organic development: alternative advertising. Must read for any planner and creative. Full of inspiring examples. The only standard work on the subject I've spotted so far. (****)
Paco Underhill: Why We Buy: The Science Of Shopping As with many true things, it all seems so simple and intuitive. Nevertheless this book is an eye opener. I will never see shops and shoppers the same anymore. (***)
Malcolm Gladwell: The tipping point Cram full of interesting and fascinating stories. Gladwell doesn't provide instant solutions but very useful food for thought when you try to stimulate or stop things of epidemic proportion. (*****)
