Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Guys, this is real simple.



Above is an ad that works on many levels. It works for all the same reasons communications have always worked--from Babylonia of yore to the babbling idiocy of today.

1. It imparts useful information in an executionally brilliant way.
2. It breaks through. It's large, prominent, something you would notice. This ad is running just below the masthead of the Times. Apple is the only advertiser I've ever seen make this media buy on the Times' site.
3. It makes a promise to the viewer.
4. It is simple and unvarnished.

This is really all there is to advertising. If you do anything but all of the above you are wasting your clients' money.

--
PS: I want no bullshit that "that's Apple." As if Apple and TBWA/Chiat/Day have a different set of rules that permit them and only them to do work that actually works. Speaking as someone with some knowledge of the personal computing world, any number of PC-manufacturers can make some sort of relevant statement. There is nothing magical about Apple + TBWA/C/D other than they choose to follow the strictures I've enumerated above.

2 comments:

Laura said...

5. It is relevant
6. Memorable
And of course enviable

Tore Claesson said...

It's never convoluted.