Nine Ways to Improve an Ad

Nine Ways to Improve an Ad

Author

Fred Manley

Year
1963
image

Nine Ways to Improve an Ad

Fred Manley. 1963. (View Paper → )

The relevant parts of the abstract can be copied here in italics...

I'm sure you've seen a certain ad for the Volkswagen car, and heard it praised, and watched it pick up prizes the length and breadth of the land. I'd like to nominate this ad as one of the most inept, most ineffectual, most misguided efforts of recent years.

This is an incredible takedown of those in advertising trying to win acclaim from their peers. Fred introduces 9 rules that’ll help fix the ad:

  1. Show the product.
  2. Don't use negative headlines.
  3. Whenever possible, mention your product name in the headline.
  4. Whenever possible, show people enjoying your product.
  5. Always feature news in your advertisement.
  6. Always give prominent display to your product logo.
  7. Think BIG and you'll choose VOLKSWAGEN!
  8. Show people enjoying your product.
  9. Always give prominent display to your product logo.