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Welcome to Steeling from the Tip Jar.

To kick off our newsletter, we wanted to step back in time to share a funny, insightful and on-the-mark article that was first published 48 years ago but is still applicable today in our overloaded world that includes online advertising, email campaigns, television, mobile and, oh yeah – not to forget – traditional advertising. Good stuff – enjoy!

The following article first appeared in Communications Arts in the July/August 1963 issue.

Nine Ways to Improve an Ad

By Fred Manley V.P., Creative Director, BBDO, San Francisco
Illustrations by Hal Riney

I'm sure you've seen a certain ad for the Volkswagen car, and heard it praised, and watched it pick up prizes the length and breadth of the land.

I'd like to nominate this ad as one of the most inept, most ineffectual, most misguided efforts of recent years.

Why? Because it's a perfect example of the disease that has spread throughout our business. A disease called "cleverness." Today, in some advertising quarters, cleverness is all that matters. You no longer have to have the selling idea. You no longer have to communicate that idea in clear, understandable terms. All you have to do is be witty. And amusing. And sophisticated. In short, "clever." And the more sane, sensible, tried-and-true rules you break along the way, the better.

The result, of course, is advertising like this. Advertising that titillates the precious few who work along Madison Avenue. That wins awards from ingrown groups of art directors. That makes conversation pieces at cocktail parties in Westport, Connecticut. Advertising that utterly fails to communicate with anyone who lives anywhere west of the Hudson River.

These are serious charges, I know – but I'm prepared to prove them. With your permission, I'd like to show you what this ad could have been – if only it hadn't worshipped at the shrine of cleverness. In short, with the sensitive aid of art director Hal Riney, I'd like to reconstruct it step by step, following the sensible rules that guide so much of advertising today.

RULE: Show the product.

Don't turn it into a postage stamp or a test of failing eyesight. Show it. Boldly. Dramatically. Excitingly. Like [ad to the left]:

There. See the difference already? Now, I'll admit the headline no longer makes complete sense – but that brings us to another obvious improvement.

RULE: Don't use negative headlines.

"Think Small" may be very clever, very witty … but what an idea to leave in the minds of
everyday readers.

"Think BIG!" Now I ask you – isn't that better? Isn't it more positive, more direct? And note, too, the interesting use of type to punch home the excitement of the idea.

Well that brings us to still another improvement – and on the most important rules in all advertising.

RULE: Whenever possible, mention your product name in the headline.

Which the people who thought up this ad could have done so very, very easily.

See how the ad is beginning to jell? How its really starting to come alive?

Let see another way we can breathe some life into it – with a warming touch of humanity.

RULE: Whenever possible, show people enjoying your product.

That's more like it. A gracious mansion. A carefree band of dancers. And best of all, a proud pair of thoroughbreds.

Now for the improvement to correct a fault in the product itself. You'll note that the VW, unfortunately, is totally lacking in news. From year to year, while other cars bring out a host of exciting changes – it stays its own dowdy self.

RULE: Always feature news in your advertisement.

And if you have no news, invent it. Like [ad to the left]:

How's that for news?

RULE: (one of the obvious of the bunch) Always give prominent display to your product logo.

And I don't mean an arty jumble of initials no one can read. I mean a proud unashamed logo like [ad to the left]:

There. Now they know who's paying for the ad!

RULE: Avoid all unpleasant connotation about your product.

Which brings us to a somewhat delicate area: the country of origin of the Volkswagon car. Now I don't have to dwell on the subject of World War II and it attendant unpleasantness for you to grasp my meaning. Let's simply say that it might be wise to "domesticate" the car, so to speak.

VOLKSWAGON–THE ALL-AMERICAN CAR!

And in a flash, apple strudel turns into good old apple pie!

RULE: Always tell the reader where he can buy your product.

Where can you buy a Volkswagon?

"At your friendly authorized Volkswagon dealer." Note the warmth of words like "friendly." And the use of "Authorized" to make sure that prospects don't stumble into places that are unauthorized.

One rule to go. The most important rule of all.

RULE: Always localize your ads.

And mind the way you spell dealer's names.

There you have it. No clever, precious, self-conscious waste of space like the ad we started with; but an honest, hard-hitting, two-fisted ad like this that really sells.

I said "sells."

Steeling from the Tip Jar is a free, monthly eNewsletter sharing a single item of interest about marketing and advertising. Articles are culled from a variety of industry resources and include Steele insights and/or editing. Steele Communications is a creative agency that can help you keep your marketing efforts on target, on time and on budget. Learn more at steeleweb.com or contact Scott Steele at s.steele@steeleweb.com or 630.968.5106.

Contributing Source: Communications Arts

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