Hey Whipple, Squeeze This, 6th Edition

6THE VIRTUES OF SIMPLICITY: OR, WHY IT'S HARD TO POUND IN A NAIL SIDEWAYS.

IF YOU TAKE AWAY ONE THING from this book, let it be the advice in this section: simpler is always better.

Maurice Saatchi, of London's M&C Saatchi, on simplicity: “Simplicity is all. Simple logic, simple arguments, simple visual images. If you can't reduce your argument to a few crisp words and phrases, there's something wrong with your argument.”

To create a simple advertising idea in any medium, we must limit ourselves to saying one thing. Any advertising concept that tries to make more than one point won't work. This is basically why they put the point on the end of the nail.

MAKE SURE THE FUSE ON YOUR IDEA ISN'T TOO LONG OR TOO SHORT.

Here's the thing: the customer must get your ad instantly, or close to instantly. I sometimes refer to this as the Speed of the Get. (As in, “I get it.”) For my money, a quick-get is the first and the most important thing an idea needs to have. A quick get matters more than even the creativity of the piece. Heresy, I know, but it's the truth.

However, you don't want your idea to be too quick of a get. If your idea doesn't have enough substance to it, it may well be an instant read but will likely have little effect on the viewer. Sort of like a STOP sign; obviously an instant read but not likely something I'm gonna post about. Few students err on the too fast end ...