I don't know if was an Ogilvy-ism or just something I've picked up along the way. But I've always subscribed to the notion that "small companies run small ads." Conversely "big companies run big ads."
I am reminded of this, once again, by Apple who today have the digital equivalent of a spread running on the nytimes.com. The ad heralds the sale of Apple's billioneth app and features apple app icons flying over the masthead and throughout the lion's share of the page.
Meanwhile most other "major" advertisers are running their usual thumbnails which of course no one outside of a conference room at client-ville ever even sees.
Of course you can extrapolate from my small/big thesis above when you get to actual websites. In an effort to be all things to all people, most websites have no featured item. There is no hierarchy. No place to look first. No compelling promise to the viewer.
Oh well.
