Do the Twist

I have a collection of ad agency brochures dating back to the mid-70's.  Yeah, I know, it sounds like I'm a pack rat.  But only when it comes to advertising and baseball cards.  One of my favorite brochures is an odd-shaped piece produced by Carmichael/Lynch in Minneapolis, the ad agency most famous for producing award-winning Harley-Davidson campaigns -- ads that also happens to sell big, noisy bikes like crazy.

Inside was a great ad-making credo, that also applies to other forms of writing -- and maybe to life in general.  It goes as follows: 

"Tell the world a story. Make it simple, honest, relevant, heartwarming. But don't forget to add an interesting twist. That's what gets them leaning forward, thinking, smiling, believing."

From that thought came a little reminder taped to my office wall that simply says: Do the twist.  (Wasn't it Chubby Checker that sang a song about that in the mid-60's?  And didn't the Beatles sing, "twist and shout?") 

Ever since, that mantra has been my simple guideline when it comes to writing ads, teaching or speaking.  So, even though I prefer to waltz with my wife, let's do the twist.

About Quantity Breeding Quality

“Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when it’s the only one we have."
            Emile Auguste Chartier (pseudonym: Alain), 1868-1951

A Relevant Blast From the Past

I keep a file of interesting ADWEEK, CA and AD Age articles that goes back to the late 1970's.  At least I deem them interesting.  I like to review them now and then.  I should do it more often, frankly, as the wisdom of earlier decades often remains very relevant to my efforts today at Richter7. 

In the 80's and early 90's there was a certain "red hot" agency that was frequently written about, much like CP&B is constantly covered now.   One of the agency's founders was my "copywriting mentor from afar," although he never knew it.   His name was Tom McElligott, and his agency was Fallon McElligott & Rice -- now simply known as Fallon.  Perhaps they've lost their way of late, from a creative standpoint -- but they're still a formidable shop.  

One particular article about them appeared in ADWEEK's April 27, 1992 issue, and detailed the attitudes and philosophy that fueled their stratospheric growth. I thought the insights were ever-so-applicable to me, to Richter7, and to our industry as a whole -- an industry that now spends a lot of time talking about new media, rich media, lay-offs and CRM strategies, but not enough time talking about the bottom-line benefits of intelligent creativity. Here are some of Tom's comments:



"Competitors rap our agency for being all creative execution and no strategy. We're delighted with that because we're able to keep an element of surprise. We go in as this creative agency, and then we knock you backwards with our business insight."

"Ads can be powerful and memorable and offend a lot of people. I surely want our stuff to work. But I prefer to do it with charm, and a sense of integrity. I'd rather overestimate the public's intelligence than underestimate it."



"FM considers itself a family in a family-oriented town. Children and dogs are often underfoot; no one blinks when art director Bob Barrie walks into a meeting with Fallon carrying his napping one-year-old son."

"Pat Fallon is one of the few account people who is as insightful and sensitive about creative as the great creatives in the business."


"People pay us not to let them rationalize about their business."


"There are two kinds of research: the kind that tells you what to say, and the kind that tells you how to say it. The kind that tells you what to say is terrific. If you don't do it, you're probably going to regret it. We'll test strategies till the cows come home, but we reserve the right to use disciplined imagination to find extraordinary ways to say it."


"The rule, pretty much, is to break the rules. If you break the rules, you're going to stand a better chance of breaking through the clutter than if you don't. The smaller a company is, and the bigger the competition, the more crucial that advice becomes."

Lose the Fear.

Did you notice the BMW magazine ad that's been appearing of late. It's a two-page spread, nicely designed --although there's nothing stunning about the visuals. Rather, the stunning part of the ad was the copy. (Spoken like a true copywriter, eh?)

The ad's verbiage can just as easily be applied to life as to a car. It's also highly appropo when it comes to creating advertising. Here's what it said:

Lose the fear.

Lose the groupthink.

Lose the yes-people.

Lose the proper channels.

Lose the chain of command.

Lose the safety nets.

Lose consensus.

Lose the happy medium.

Lose the compromises.

Lose Plan B.

Somewhere along the road to success lie the cones of mediocrity, urging you to take the expected route. To this we counter with the counsel to steer clear of the middle of the road.

A fine piece of advice. I will promptly throw away anything that resembles a white flag of surrender. I will perform my duties, as a father and ad man, with more faith, upgraded optimism and a finer finish than ever. Thank you, BMW, for the motivational speech.

Why Did I Check My Doggone Email?

So I'm on vacation in Yellowstone last week, staying at the ancient, timbered icon known as Old Faithful Inn -- a family favorite. It was a final few days of summer with my wife and son, before he heads back to school. The twisting, warm-water chute at Firehole Falls was as exciting (and rocky) as ever. The hot springs, geysers and paintpots were as wonderfully mesmerizing the umpteenth time I saw them as the first. The buffalo were still wandering in the middle of the road. The rainbows remained parked over the dramatic Lower Falls. And the Inn itself was as quaint and comfortable as I remembered from previous visits.

And then I checked my email by iPhone.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Suddenly I was no longer in a volcanic wonderland, I was mentally at my office confronted by an irate client who was incensed about an estimate for TV production. My heart sank, my stomach wobbled, and my mind became overwhelmed with worry. In a flash, the hot pots weren't so hot, nor the geysers so great.

Modern portable technology had invaded my idyllic getaway. It was my own fault, I realize that. Sure, I have that phone in order to be easily accessible, and to be constantly in communication. But "constant" should not include my vacation.

Fortunately, my wife talked be down off the ledge, calmed my heart, and rehashed Dale Carnegie principles I could use with the client upon my return. But in the process, I learned my lesson: Keep the vacation and business silos separate. A vacation is supposed to refresh me, to make me giddy to return to the Richter7 advertising chores at hand. I almost blew it. Thankfully, I can still hear the Canadian geese honking on the Madison River's banks.

A Little Piece of Positivity

I recently heard Alex Bogusky say that every day in advertising seems to come with a kick to gut. That was his summation statement after discussing how difficult the ad business can be -- especially nowadays. That's why he tries to practice what he calls "dilusional positivity." I suppose that's his way of saying that regardless of the often trying circumstances, he endeavors to put an upbeat spin on things. It's a good philosophy.

A man I respect a lot, named Gordon B. Hinckley, was always preaching optimism. "Have faith, be believing, and things will work for the best," was how he put it once.

I'm trying. But after Richter7 has had to reduce pay, lay off people, and cut others back to four days a week, it's been an uphill battle. But I'm really trying.

It helped to stop by one of the most beautiful and peaceful places on earth last week while doing some filming on behalf of the Polynesian Cultural Center, a Richter7 client. The accompanying photos give you a glimpse of this tranquil place of contemplation. I've always had a soft spot for all things Asian, since living in Taiwan for two years while serving as a missionary. So this place, called the Byodo Inn Temple, brings back wonderful memories -- and helped me focus on the positive. There are certainly worse places to have a client than in Hawaii.

It Is Better To Be Trusted Than Loved.

Here are results from the latest Gallup poll showing the percentage of adults who rate people in various professions as honest and ethical:

Nurses – 82%
Pharmacists – 67%
Doctors – 65%
High School Teachers – 64%
Policemen – 61%
Clergy – 54%
Advertising practitioners – 11%
Telemarketers – 7%

Based on my memory of the last ranking, we’re up 2%. Party time. Meanwhile, the clergy percentage fell dramatically based on scandalous revelations over the past handful of years.

To further improve our image, I propose the more we in the ad biz eliminate flowery, cliché adjectives, the better off we’ll be. The more we can avoid exclamation points, the better off we’ll be. In fact, let's shun them altogether. And the more we meet promised deadlines and budgets, the better off we’ll be. If all else fails, maybe we could get a nursing school as a client.

On the bright side, Gallup notes we rated on a par with lawyers (I guess that’s a bright side), and more highly than congressmen and car dealers.

Like my dad would always say, "David, it's better to be trusted than loved."