Advertising advice from Bill Clinton.

When you love advertising as I do, when you live it and breathe it, you find it all around you. Over the last week or so, I've been watching the party conventions, reading, of course, op-eds in the "Times" about those conventions and seeing advertising lessons everywhere.

Both of today's lessons come from Bill Clinton by way of Roger Cohen. You can read Cohen's full column here: Cohen.

Clinton's first dicta is simple, and its impetus was the lack of "how," of explanation in Governor Romney's acceptance speech. “When people are afraid, explanation beats eloquence any day.”

In other words, cut the crap and tell us what you're going to do. We don't need fancy. We need smart. We need action. We need doing. Not just saying.

Clinton's second phrase was directed at President Obama. What Obama must do, according to Clinton is something he's not very good at. He must "explain in plain language how the United States came to its present pass and how he plans to set the country on a path to growth and jobs again. That in turn will explain why a second term would differ from the first."

In short, he has to (in Clinton's words) "put the corn where the hogs can get to it.” 

In other words, communicate simply, honestly and clearly.