Negative copy can sell

What advertiser in their right mind would knock their own product? Volkswagen, that’s who. The ad on the left is over 40 years old, yet it’s far more daring than most of the ads you see today. Customers expect advertisers to boast about their products, not to say something negative, as this ad does. When […]

Invisible copy, Mexican style

This Hot Wheels poster, by Ogilvy Mexico, won a Silver Lion at the 2010 Cannes Advertising Festival. Isn’t it terrible? I mean, where’s the headline? And just look at all that printed space without any copy whatsoever. What was the copywriter doing? I’m kidding – I think this poster’s great. But I can recall a […]

Is this the future of advertising?

Help me. I don’t know what to make of the video above. Campaign magazine chose it as their ad of the week. Is it an ad? Or is it a music video with product placement? And is it any good? Supposedly, it’s for Converse shoes. But the sell is so soft, the idea so recessive, […]

Good old-fashioned DM: hand-written

Do you know the Canadian store department chain called The Bay? It’s part of The Hudson Bay Company, one of the oldest commercial corporations in the world, with a pretty impressive history – they used to be the de facto government in large parts of North America in fur-trading times. The last time I was […]

Great billboard or traffic hazard?

Below is a news item about a very powerful piece of outdoor advertising for road safety, by Colenso BBDO, New Zealand.  I wish I’d created the billboard, but I also wonder:  is it so strong that it’s likely to cause a road accident?

An ad I wish I’d done: Coke Happiness Machine

When judging an ad, I ask myself if I wish I’d written it. In this case, the answer is yes. I think it’s very charming. And I like how it uses its obvously paltry production budget to its advantage. The ad was created by an agency called Definition 6, in Atlanta. So hats off to […]