Are the Rules of Advertising Made to be Broken?

by Brad Smith

As students of our own craft, most of us associated with the advertising industry can tell you about an ad that made a lasting impression on them. As a Certified Business Communicatior, one of my favorites is an old B-2-B McGraw-Hill Magazines ad from, I guess, the late 1950s. Which means it was made before I went to school.

It shows a picture of a grumpy old purchasing agent who says:

“I don’t know who you are.
I don’t know your company.
I don’t know your company’s products.
I don’t know what your company stands for.
I don’t know your company’s customers.
I don’t know your company’s record.
I don’t know your company’s reputation.

Now – what was it you wanted to sell me?”


MORAL: Sales start before your salesman calls – with business publication
advertising.

That’s it. The visual works with the body copy. The message couldn’t be clearer.

So what’s missing?

No headline. Everyone knows you can’t have an ad without a headline, right!

Oh yea. And the logo is in the TOP left corner, too. Can you imagine?

So just follow the number one advertising rule, and you won’t break any rules of advertising: create advertising that works.