Contrary to popular belief, I genuinely love the ad industry.
When it’s good, it is very, very good indeed.
However when it’s bad – and I have seen a lot of it recently at Cannes – it’s deceitful, shameful and a load of indulgent bollocks.
There has been a lot written about how Cannes may be ruining the ad industry but I would say the ad industry is doing a very good job of that themselves. Thank god there are a few agencies – of which I am very fortunate to be in one – that don’t subscribe to the scam strategy for success, though I wish the ones who did were named and shamed a bit more regularly because ultimately they are making our lives far more difficult than they should be.
Mind you, if a client chooses an agency on the awards they won through scam, then they deserve all they get.
But that’s not what I want to write about, I want to write about this:
Yes, it’s an old ad.
An old product ad.
An old product, print ad.
But look at it …
Look at the writing – not just the headline, which is British charm at it’s best – but the copy.
How they openly admit how expensive their product is [and don’t forget when this ad came out, 3 grand was probably a years wages for many] … but not because they want to claim it gives you ‘status’, but because it costs a lot to make – and own – some of the best sound products in the World.
It all combines to make an ad that communicates brilliant sound quality, production innovation and brand swagger without once spelling out – or should I say spoon feeding – sound quality, product innovation or brand swagger.
Better yet, they manage to do all that simply and succinctly and in a way that demands to be read, rather than ignored.
Yes, I know it’s from a past time, but when I compare it to many of the print ads – actually, scrap that, ads in general – that get put out today, I can’t help but feel we should be looking to the past for our standards rather than continue to run manically towards the edge of obsolescence. Or idiocy.
Though – to be honest – that statement could also apply to SONY as a company and marketing managers as a whole.
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Short copy exudes confidence and clarity.
Comment by John July 29, 2015 @ 6:31 amI knew you’d say that. At least you’re consistent I suppose.
Comment by Rob July 29, 2015 @ 7:46 amIt may be from a different time but I bet it would still work today. Though the drummer in Maroon5 doesn’t have the same impact as Keith Moon.
Comment by George July 29, 2015 @ 6:34 amThank you for posting this Robert. It put a smile on my face.
I’m hoping the M5 reference is because your kids are listening to it rather than you. It’s still a sign of bad parenting.
Comment by DH July 29, 2015 @ 6:42 amIt’s like having Ed Sheeran in the room. Only brighter.
Comment by John July 29, 2015 @ 6:45 amI didn’t realise things were that bad for you George.
Comment by Rob July 29, 2015 @ 7:46 amYes.
Comment by George July 29, 2015 @ 8:35 amCase study video script.
“Sony challenged us to sell their high quality, high priced stereo system. We did a print ad that said to hear music like the artist is literally in the room with you, you have to pay a high price and people bought it. Maybe because £3000 is still cheaper than hiring Keith Moon for the morning.”
Total duration: 18 seconds.
Comment by DH July 29, 2015 @ 6:41 amthat “cheaper than hiring keith” would be a fucking good line. who knew you had it in you. i fucking didnt.
Comment by andy@cynic July 29, 2015 @ 6:48 amThat would be the best case study video ever. You’d win regardless of the results simply for not boring the judges to death and not exaggerating the impact you made.
Comment by Rob July 29, 2015 @ 7:47 amit cant be any fucking good because theres no crowd sourcing, social media engagement campaign extension in any of it. or an app. cannes fucking fail.
Comment by andy@cynic July 29, 2015 @ 6:47 amOur Keith Moon app had great engagement and was downloaded 6 times helping Sony achieve 4 trillion audience impressions.
Comment by DH July 29, 2015 @ 7:07 amIt’s funny because it’s true.
Comment by Rob July 29, 2015 @ 7:47 amif you think this post shows how fucking tragic adland has become, think how fucking shit it reflects where sony is these days. they cant even make a decent fucking ad let alone a fucking product.
Comment by andy@cynic July 29, 2015 @ 6:49 amWe won a Cannes grand prix with an outdoor poster campaign. Just saying.
Comment by Bazza July 29, 2015 @ 7:19 amI know you are being cheeky Baz, but you make a good point. Apple know all you need to make effective communication is to say something clear, simple and captivating. Nothing else. I still don’t think it was GP worthy.
Comment by George July 29, 2015 @ 7:31 amWe were talking about it this week. It’s a simple execution and explains the point well but it’s never a grand prix winner. But then, maybe it got awarded for the same reasons we’d award this … it didn’t spout ad-shit and just did something simple, really really well.
Comment by Rob July 29, 2015 @ 7:49 amI had one of those Sony music systems. I didn’t buy it, it was owned by my company but I remember it was a glorious sounding machine and I spent many hours in its presence, listening to my favourite bands of the time.
Comment by Lee Hill July 29, 2015 @ 7:40 amI don’t remember the advertisement though which is surprising, because it is wonderful.
I’m guessing this is before your lawyer days Lee or you were at the most progressive law firm in history.
Comment by Rob July 29, 2015 @ 7:47 amI was a lawyer for the music division of Thorn EMI in those days Robert. So it is not as strange as it may have sounded.
Comment by Lee Hill July 29, 2015 @ 8:20 amI love the old charm of print copy. The stuff CDP and BMP used to do on a regular basis. The tagline ‘Higher-Fi’ is pretty decent too.
Comment by Rob (other one) July 29, 2015 @ 8:30 amThat said, I was watching some old cinema ads from the 70’s and 80’s last night, and they certainly don’t regularly reach this kind of standard.
In fact one, a Silk Cut ad from 1979, was racially offensive (probably even for the time) and featured hideously bad copy about people switching to the brand in two weeks. Iguana it was not.
Reminds me also of one of my favourite ever print ads, an obscure one for Grundig – advertising its stylish 70’s range of TVs. The main line said “Smart people don’t watch TV. This is what they don’t watch it on.”
where the fuck have you been hiding?
Comment by andy@cynic July 29, 2015 @ 11:27 pmThat is brilliantly written. The ad, not the blog post.
Obviously.
Comment by Marcus July 29, 2015 @ 3:33 pmabsofuckinglutely obvious.
Comment by andy@cynic July 29, 2015 @ 11:26 pmThe ad creates consumer lust. That’s what the best of Apple’s work does. I must have the product. Even now, decades later.
Comment by George Tannenbaum July 29, 2015 @ 9:18 pmAlso, the ad doesn’t insult or pander the reader.
thats the fucking biggest difference. treats people like equals. smart, in the fucking know, equals rather than this mr bean retard shit that is all the fucking rage. maybe if the fucktard marketing manager stopped for a moment, theyd realise the reason they have to brainwash is because no one gives a fuck about what they are saying, forget selling.
Comment by andy@cynic July 29, 2015 @ 11:29 pmThis could be an ace display ad.
Comment by northern July 29, 2015 @ 10:28 pmWhen is the last time you saw a display ad and cared.
When the digital wankers took over, they forgot the bit about actually writing good ads.
Writing like this could even sell pink shoes to a bloke
Sony account at BBDO London when ad created, sometime in the mid 70’s
Comment by John O'Driscoll July 29, 2015 @ 11:39 pmTim Delaney creative was director.
Old chums who were at BBDO at the time think ad was art directed by Peter Garret and written by Denise who’s surname is sadly not remembered.
This ad was one of many nice ones by the agency including a radio campaign written by a still funny John Cleese.
was it denise law? this ad was before my time but when i started out i met an ex bbdo writer called denise who gave my book the best fucking kicking it could get. legend.
Comment by andy@cynic July 30, 2015 @ 6:13 amI was at BBDO when Peter Garrett arrived so I can remember him but my memory of Denise is a little hazy. All I can remember that she was very small and a little feisty. I left shortly after they both arrived and don’t know what happened to their careers. I have been advised by others who were at the agency during that period that the ad might have for a charity programme.
Comment by John O'Driscoll July 30, 2015 @ 4:37 pm