Truth in Advertising?

September 13, 2006

Long, persuasive copy. That’s the tactic Ogilvy often used with such success. Just reading his ads makes you feel like a moron for assuming that all luxury vehicles – or cruise ships – were pretty much the same.

Ogilvy’s ads revealed new truths about the product or service.

Fast forward. Not surprisingly, people became cynical and suspicious. They stopped believing what advertisers told them. Today we only pay attention to advertising that involves humor, celebrities, talking reptiles or fun stuff on the Internet.

Which reminds me of a fascinating article I came across in Ode magazine.

The author argues in favor of using electronic games, instead of books, in the classroom.

Whoa. Paradigm shift. Books are bad and video games are good? The author claims books are linear, passive and controlling, while games such as Myst are rich in possibility and sensory stimulation and allow players, or learners, to help determine the outcome. Video games “invite creativity, promote problem-solving abilities and inspire perseverance.”

Moreover, books isolate learners, while video games encourage collaboration and teamwork.

I KNEW there was something positive about my son playing video games 24/7, besides learning the kind of skills that could be useful only to a fighter pilot.

So what’s this got to do with advertising? Even if we use talking reptiles, advertising still educates people – on features, benefits, availability, and so on. Just like Ogilvy.

If people think books are dead, than print advertising is way dead, because, as Ezra Pound said, “Literature is news that stays news.” (And by the way—why don’t publishers sell more ad space in books?) Our agency rarely uses print to reach consumers under 40.

Unfortunately, the people most excited about viral Internet campaigns are folks in advertising or web design. The only web campaign I’ve heard living humans talk about was BK’s Subservient Chicken.

The growing preference for video game style information has inspired many wonderfully creative electronic campaigns. But the brand or product must be incorporated in a tasteful and fun way. Since we don’t believe what advertisers tell us – with good reason – the information must be not only engaging, but true.

In a sense, we’ve become so cynical and suspicious that we’ve come full circle. Right back to truth.

By Clara

Filed Under Advertising, Criticism

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