I have a confession. My friends think I am a voracious reader. I am not.
And when it comes to Management or Advertising books, I have hardly ready any. I used to read some fiction and a lot of magazines. My magazine list would span from MAD to Wired.
So I find it difficult to quote from renowned marketing gurus. But, hey, I can quote from MAD magazine. For instance, MAD magazine’s take on Kramer vs. Kramer was ‘Crymore vs. Crymore. It was filed under the ‘Hoffman/Hoffwoman Department’.
Here are some advertising related books that I have read and enjoyed thoroughly:
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Cutting Edge Advertising: How to Create the World’s Best for Brands in the 21st Century
by Jim Aitchison, Neil French
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Cutting Edge Commercials: How to Create the World’s Best TV Ads for Brands in the 21st Century
by Jim Aitchison
Read more about this title… |
I have tried reading Disruption and some books by David Aaker, John Philip Jones but cannot say that I dived deep into them. The one author whom I desperately want to read is Jeremy Bullmore.
Jeremy Bullmore’s first job was a trainee copywriter with J Walter Thompson in London and he stayed with that agency until his retirement as Chairman in 1987. From 1981-1987, he was chairman of the Advertising Association and since 1988, has been a non-executive director of the Guardian Media Group Plc and WPP group plc. He was awarded a CBE in 1986.
I used to read his agony aunt column in the Campaign magazine. He offered great solutions in a unique style. His wit was acerbic but delivered with tongue firmly in cheek. Samples:
Q: I’m the marketing director of a successful car company. I’ve got a few agencies working for me, and fundamentally I’m very happy with them. But one or two keep hinting that they’d like to raise their fees. Yes, they’ve done some great work for us, and, yes, I like them as people. But the fact is we could easily get someone cheaper. But maybe they wouldn’t be as good. What should I do?
A: You should count your lucky stars. Research undertaken on behalf of the Marketing Society consistently reveals that, at any given time, only 8.7 per cent of marketing directors are fundamentally very happy with their agencies. Fifty per cent admit to ‘almost daily exasperation’ and more than 40 per cent are ‘actively looking around’.
Furthermore, you are the marketing director of a successful car company. In the whole of the UK at the moment, there are no more than three marketing directors of successful car companies of whom only one is fundamentally very happy with his agencies. I think we know who you are, already.
Ask yourself this outrageous question: Do you think there might just conceivably be some causal relationship between the great work that these nice people in your agencies do for you and the fact that the car company of which you’re marketing director is successful?
I have every sympathy with clients who feel they’re paying too much for bad work. I have no sympathy whatsoever with clients who enjoy great work and a successful business – and who still lie awake at night wondering if they’re being ripped off.
I bet you keep your coins in a purse.
Q: I’m a creative graduate and want to get into advertising. However, I am torn between digital and above the line. Which one will afford me more money, women and drugs?
A: How many times must I remind you I’ve no first-hand knowledge of anything that’s happened since 1963? It’s true that I used to be something of an expert on Radio Luxembourg and split runs in the Daily Sketch and that I once won a Silver Quill from The World’s Press News. But I’ve no idea where you might get drugs. Have you tried Boots?
A recent generic sell that caught my eye is from Australia. They have been running a campaign to promote consumption of lamb since 1999. The ‘We love our lamb’ campaign has turned around consumer attitudes and won several awards. Their recent effort is a tongue in cheek take off on ‘romantic films’ with the tagline ‘Falling in Lamb’! You can view the (funny) TVC 
