Today’s technology

‘When I started out in advertising, art direction was awash with rules. Nowadays it seems anything goes. This freedom (to which we all owe Apple Macintosh a big hug) has brought fantastic results.’
– Dave Dye, Leagas Delaney

‘ I believe the electronic information revolution is truly the magic of our times. We are forever indebted to the Mac. But even the most powerful computer will never be a substitute for human insight.’
– Micheal Shaffron, Saatchi & Saatchi

Copy

‘If you want to be a well-paid copywriter, please your client. If you want to be an award-winning copywriter, please yourself. If you want to be a great copywriter, please your reader.’

- Steve Hayden, Ogilvy‘There is no such thing as long copy.

There is only too-long copy. And that can be two words if they are not the right two words.’

– Jim Durfee, Messner, Vetere, EuroRSCG

Art Direction

Never let it get in the way of an idea.

‘Visual language is more important than the word.
Visual language is universal,
communicating across cultural and language barriers.’
– Warren Eakins, Leagas Delaney

‘I often produce about a hundred layouts over a few days.
When I arrive at one that feels right,
I scrutinize the layout over and over again,
then I improve it.’
– Alexandra Taylor, Saatchi & Saatchi

Be simple. Be fresh.

‘People are bombarded with imagery. So keep it simple, like a billboard. And you will win.’
- Dean Hanson, Fallon McElligott
‘Don’t be different just to be different. Be simple. Be visual.’
- Luke Sullivan, Fallon McElligott

Keep a twist in the headline or in the visual.

'If the idea in the ad is being carried by the headline, it means the headline will contain a twist, a shock factor. Therefore the accompanying visual must play a subservient or straight role. And vice versa.’– Jim Aitchison, The Ball Partnership

Should you be rational?

‘Anyone who thinks you need a rational benefit is ignoring 90% of the human brain, which is irrational. There is no rational benefit to Coke and Pepsi.’
– Neil French, WPP

Look for an idea.

‘People are hard to shock with execution. You tend to remember execution for a short while. You tend to remember ideas for a long time.’
– Gary Goldsmith, Lowe

‘I think in the best execution routes there is an idea. In a lot of it there isn’t, and unless the image is truly outstanding, it isn’t as memorable.’
– David Abbott, Abbott Mead & Vickers.

Avoid the obvious.

Find out what everybody is doing in the category and do the opposite.

‘Research said that all beer must be light coloured these days, so we decided to make ours black. It must be light in alcohol, so we made ours 12% alcohol. The ads must have photographs of girls, so we decided not to have any photographs of girls. They must have status symbols, so we said, no status symbols. They must have crowds of blokes having a jolly good time in a pub. We said we’ll have none of that either. Every rule we could find about beer advertising, we decided to break.’

– Neil French on XO beer -

Find a unique feature in the brand

The feature could be in the brand name, packaging, shape, design, or price. It could be a little detail in the production or history of the product. For this you must learn as much of the product as possible.

‘In the absence of knowledge, you will be doomed to rely more and more on adjectives; always a mistake.’

– Bob Levenson, Doyle Dane Bernbach-

Print advertising changes superficially...

Print advertising changes superficially.We go through fashions– borders, typography, colour type, etc. Techniques change, but I don’t think the enduring principles of good communication will change that much. Because it’s about human behaviour and reaction.

– David Abbot, Abbot Mead & Vickers -