The power of words.

This magazine cover (designed, I think, by George Lois) hit newsstands almost forty-one years ago. I wish it weren't so relevant today. But regardless of my politics, what makes this cover special is the simplicity of its design and the power of its message. The fact that it probably broke all the rules of magazine cover design ever conceived is what makes it a meaningful post in a blog on advertising.

In an era in which we are inundated with technical possibilities, trillions of type faces, a virtually unrelenting torrent of self-conscious design and a readership were told no longer reads, this cover should stand out as a beacon and a reminder. Karaoke Kreative (where all work looks like someone else's work. Where all work uses the same photographic style, the same sardonic voice-overs, the same visual puns) doesn't work.

Simplicity works. Powerful simple words work. Technique is important, yes. As is technology. But your communication--whether it's a TV spot, banner or whatever--will be much stronger and memorable if it contains some truth. Truth can make work stand out too.