A well crafted ad will:
- Grab your attention
- HOLD your attention
- Challenge your assumptions
- Affirm your deepest hopes (and fears)
- Reflect back what you most wish to believe about yourself
That’s it folks.
That’s how you create advertising that leaves a legacy in the public consciousness. Which is what most brands need to do if they stand a chance of becoming iconic. Which is necessary if they plan on being in business for years to come.
People will forget you pretty quickly. Not because you suck. But because people are fickle. We’re inclined to pay attention to things that are relevant to our personal story. Which seems obvious, right? But it clearly isn’t as obvious to the thousands of advertisers that focus on convincing consumers rather than identifying with them.
What do you care most about?
Answer: Yourself.
The choices you make reinforce who you believe yourself to be, who you wish to become and who you desire others to believe you are. The nucleus of all of this? Your values. The brands that identify and reflect your values will be the ones you eagerly open your wallet to.
Here are two examples of brands using values to influence you:
If you share the brands values, they call you a customer. If you don’t, well…
I can assure you none of these brands are sorrowful that some people don’t choose them. They’re making it easy for everyone who SHOULD choose them to do that.
How effectively do your ads identify and reflect the values of your customers?
Tip: You now know that those most likely to do business with you share your values. Do you know what the values of your brand are? This is a good place to begin…
(Have an idea for an ad you’d like us to dissect? Email suggestions to cabinboy@ofthesea.com)