Expert Tips From the Golden Age of Advertising

The Golden Age of Advertising had its heyday in the 1960s and 70s when three-martini-lunches were the norm, and larger-than-life personalities pitched big ideas that turned the industry on its head. 

 

Ad industry giants Bill Bernbach, David Ogilvy, Mary Wells Lawrence, and Leo Burnett, among others, ushered in the 1960s Creative Revolution and put creative practices in place we still use today. 

 

In this episode, we'll cover: advertising giants from the Creative Revolution, solid fundamentals developed at the height of the Golden Age of Advertising, expert tips for creative ad copy, leveraging your chosen medium, and how to make your ads persuasive and effective.

 

This is AudioPost Episode 8: Expert Tips from the Golden Age of Advertising

 

Full text edition here: https://loyelmedia.com/good-creative-ad-copy-essentials-expert-tips-golden-age-of-advertising/

 

AudioPost is a business podcast written and produced by Loyel Media, where we help you leverage the power of media to market your business.

 

Like what you've heard and find it helpful? Consider rating AudioPost or leaving a review.

 

Episode Transcript

Narrator (00:12):
The Golden Age of Advertising had its heyday in
the 19 sixties and seventies,when 3 martini lunches were the
norm, and larger than lifepersonalities pitched big ideas
that stuck and turned theindustry on its head. Bill
Bernbach, along with hiscontemporaries, David Ogilvy,
Mary Wells Lawrence, and LeoBurnett, among others, were ad

(00:35):
industry giants that ushered inthe Creative Revolution.
Welcome to AudioPost from LoyelMedia, where we talk about using
the power of media to marketyour business. Coming up, the

Golden Age of Advertising: Expert Tips for Creative Ad (00:55):
undefined
Copy.
Bill Bernbach believed goodcreative ad copy is rooted in
those characteristics of humannature that truly move your
buyer.
Whether it motivates a potentialcustomer to look online for more

(01:16):
information, book a reservation,or visit your store, well
written copy inspires action.Bernbach alongside his peers
during this golden era ofadvertising put creative
practices in place we still usetoday to do just that.
To write compelling ads thatconvert consumers into buyers,

(01:37):
first, know your people. Mirrortheir voice.
David Ogilvy was a MadisonAvenue maverick who famously
said, if you're trying topersuade people to do something
or buy something, it seems to meyou should use their language.
Pour over consumer comments,social feeds, and customer

(01:57):
reviews for both your businessand your competitors. Pay
attention not only to what theysay, but also how they say it.
Bear in mind, potential buyersmight sometimes respond in ways
that camouflage how theygenuinely feel. Check that their
actions line up with your data.You can use these insights later

(02:18):
when brainstorming.
Judge your product. Bring afresh perspective. Get
thoroughly familiar with theproduct and the market, Bernbach
said. Conduct online and instore research to deepen your
understanding of how your offeris perceived in the marketplace.

(02:38):
Look at your product from yourconsumer's point of view.
Consider what they think whenthey first come across it. Find
your inspiration. Dig deep. Turnto your customer research prior
to framing your advertisingmessage. Industry legend, Mary

(02:59):
Lawrence Wells, the acclaimedadvertising pro behind campaigns
like I love New York and Trustthe Midas touch advised, when
copywriting, be a detective anda psychiatrist before allowing
yourself to be an artist.
Study your buyer and theirhabits. Understand their needs
and desires. How your productwill make a difference in their

(03:21):
lives. Get clear on how and whythey make the choices they do
before you start riding. Lookfor inherent value.
Sell the experience. Peopledon't just buy a product. They
buy what a product is going todo for them. Leo Burnett was an
advertising trailblazerresponsible for some of the most

(03:42):
well known characters andcampaigns of the 20th century,
including Tony the Tiger andUnited's Fly the Friendly Skies
had this to say.
Don't tell me how good you makeit. Tell me how good it makes me when I use it.
It may be as simple as a pair ofrunning shoes, but consider what
your ideal customer values andidentifies with most when they

(04:02):
make a purchase. Take Nike forinstance. They market achieving
better versions of ourselves.While Martha Stewart promotes
elevated everyday living.
Pinpoint that unique experiencethat gets right to the heart of
why your buyer chooses yourproduct. Find fresh new ways to
express that benefit, then askyourself how you can bring that

(04:25):
idea to life.
Make it personal. Speak to oneperson. The meaning of your ad's
message will be interpreted by asingle person even if that
individual is making decisionsfor a group and your copy should
reflect that.
Present what's most important toyour buyer and speak directly to

(04:47):
them for greater impact. If yourcompany sells office supplies,
aim your message to the smallbusiness owner differently than
if it were geared toward theoffice manager. Provoke
feelings. Poke the bear, butdon't resort to tricks and

(05:11):
tropes or mindless repetition orscreaming ads. It can come
across as frivolous or worse,insulting.
Great ideas presented withcontext and relevance are
essential to good ad copy. Placeyour energy there. Bernbach
encouraged his team, beprovocative, but be sure your
provocativeness stems from yourproduct. You're not right if in

(05:34):
your ad you stand a man on hishead just to get attention. You
are right if you have him on hishead to show how your product
keeps things from falling out ofhis pockets.
Humor can work when usedcorrectly. If you choose this
path, be sure you have theresources to pull it off. If it
falls flat, you've wasted yourmoney. Tell the truth. Don't

(06:02):
mislead or exaggerate.
Consumers are savvy and judgeadvertising scrupulously. Use a
creative idea to draw attentionto what makes your product
unique instead. According toBernbach, the most powerful
element in advertising is thetruth. In 1959, his agency's

(06:22):
breakthrough Volkswagen BeetleThink Small campaign introduced
this little peculiar lookingGerman car to US car buyers at a
time when big sized Americanmade vehicles ruled the road.
This was a campaign that was notonly clever and honest but also
assured the car stood out.
It made the most of that uniquedifference. The campaign was

(06:44):
ranked as the best in the 20thcentury by Ad Age and
transformed modern advertising.Be specific. If buyers save 18%
by shopping in your store, sayso. It's more credible than
claiming everyone will save likenever before.
Consumers trust specifics.Again, Ogilvy can shed light

(07:06):
here. He said you need to tellthe truth and be specific. With
concrete numbers, meaningfulphrases and precise details your
copy becomes real. And whenthings sound real, people
believe them.
Simplify. Less is more. Too muchcopy drains people. Too much

(07:27):
story loses them. Brimbeckbelieved good ad copy presents a
creative idea clearly andconcisely.
Scrap needless words and pasteyour copy. Leave room for those
elements that make your ad moreinteresting. For instance, music
changes and sound effects. Giveyour audience the space they
need to engage theirimagination. Tear away at the

(07:50):
unrelated.
Pluck out the weeds that aresmothering your product message,
Bernbach advised. Focus on howto make your ad its most
effective. Make the factsintriguing and edit ruthlessly.
Write for the medium. Whetheryou're writing for traditional

(08:10):
or non traditional advertising,there are opportunities to put
the practices we've talked aboutfor creative copy to good use.
Here's some tips. Audio andvideo are intimate mediums.
Write copy to personalize yourmessage and humanize your brand
when using them. Most broadcastads are 15, 30, or 60 seconds.

(08:32):
When writing your first draft,start with a 30 second script.
Once you have an outline, youcan whittle it down to a 15
second script or expand it to afull 60 based on what you need.
Write in a way that would soundnatural if you read it out loud.
Get a sense of rhythm andinflection then smooth over any

(08:52):
rough spots. For interviews,ditch the script. As humans, we
seldom speak in completesentences.
We tend to use fragments toexpress our thoughts. Scripted
responses sound and look stiltedor rehearsed. Instead, prepare
talking points. That way, variedresponses can be captured when

(09:13):
the interviewer poses questionsdifferently. Then in post
production, the producer canassemble the best clips to make
your ad more natural andcompelling.
For video and TV ads, be surethere'll be footage to cover
what viewers see, hear, andread. Write your copy to
accommodate all 3. Grabattention in the first 5 seconds

(09:35):
especially for skippable instream video ads so your viewer
is more inclined to watch yourad all the way through. While
the way we deliver ouradvertising message has evolved,
as Bernbach knew so well, how wecraft that message to make it
persuasive and effective hasn't.

(09:56):
As we've covered, know yourcustomer, speak their language,
understand your product and theexperience it provides.
Make your message personal andprovoke feelings. Present your
ideas simply and honestly.
Creative ad copy uses theseprinciples developed at

(10:21):
If you wanna learn more, listento AudioPost episode 7,
Principles of Human Behavior inAdvertising.
Thanks for listening toAudioPost from Loyel Media.
There's more information alongwith helpful resources and
videos at loyelmedia.com. You'llalso find articles with

(10:43):
practical tips and insightsabout how you can leverage the
power of media to market yourbusiness.