Don’t know about you, but it feels like I’ve been "self-helped" to death. Then I tripped across How to Have Kick-Ass Ideas at SeaTac Airport last week on my way back to Phoenix from Mother’s Day with Mom. Like a sockeye salmon lured by a Flash Rattle, the caution orange/F-16 silver-colored cover caught my eye. I thought, "Here we go, another wonk ready to get my life in order for only $12.95." But remember, I’m a mindless salmon at this point so I keep moving toward the lure, even against my best instincts. Then I spot the naked fat dude jumping for joy beneath the title. Can’t help myself: This is definitely a different book. Curious, I flip through the 254 pages and begin to laugh out loud at the pros. Thankfully, they are short and to the point, embellished by a wonderful assortment of illustrations, photos, graphs and exercises. I’m hooked.

So, now let me dispense with the tired salmon analogy and just talk as the often exhausted, multi-tasking creative ad guy I am. In this unbelievably fast-paced, way-too-much-info-to-comprehend world we swim in (couldn’t help myself), Chris Baréz-Brown shows us how to slow down, chill out, and produce the best Kick-Ass Ideas of our lives. This is a fun and engaging read with loads of exercises that you can do with yourself, company, clients, family, friends etc. It’s the Adderall of self-help books, because he designed it for the attention-deficit creative person in all of us (and yes, that includes you CPAs and engineers out there, too). This book is for everyone that wants to design a career and a life that aren’t mutually exclusive. So slow down, take four hours and ponder the book , and learn how to be creative with what’s around you today instead of what’s alluring tomorrow…that’s about as Zen as I get.

20 Ads That Shook the World
by James B. Twitchell

Josh Feig rates it 5 out of 5

Advertising in the twentieth century became, over time, an art form not unlike the many others that people enjoy in their everyday lives. In 20 Ads That Shook the World, James B. Twitchell, an author and professor of English and advertising at the University of Florida, examines the growth of advertising through the last one hundred years not just as a vehicle for commercialism, but as a developing art form. Although the beginnings of advertising reach much further back than the twentieth century, it was during these years that it attained its cultural status.

Twitchell begins his examination on the early part of the century with the genius that was P.T. Barnum. Pointing not to a specific ad, but more the man himself and his techniques, Twitchell suggests that Barnum was a natural marketer before they ever existed: the original “carnival barker extraordinaire.” Later, he discusses the artistic merits of early ads for Pear’s soap, and how the ads were the initial cross between popular art and commercialism. Andy Warhol is quoted as saying “To me, business is the highest form of art.” Warhol’s art was often the definition of commercial and is perhaps a descendant of this first crossing of the two paths.

Advertising is discussed as a method for the creation of nonexistent conditions, or situations, simply for the benefit of the producer. Listerine gave us the myth of halitosis, for example, and is the reason why people believe they should even have fresh breath in the first place. The arguments are sound, and make you think hard about the claims that advertising makes about any product, or what type of situation that product helps alleviate.

Some of the ads that Twitchell points to are even more intriguing by virtue of his analysis. Did you know that Coca-Cola created the jolly, red Santa Claus? How about the masculinity of the Marlboro Man or the feminism of the Charlie girl? All of these lasting images are set before us by Twitchell and examined for their merits. He compares them with great works of art as though they belong in such company.

My favorite chapter is about the little Volkswagen Beetle that truly altered the way people look at advertising. Bill Bernbach changed the way people thought about advertising forever through the use of clever tactics that allow the consumer to do the thinking, instead of cramming the idea down their throat.

Overall, this book was an excellent read and definitely draws out some considerable thought on the subject of advertising, where it’s been, where it is, and where it may be going. I recommend this book to anyone who loves or hates advertising, and I think that might cover just about everybody.

“Overwhelming logic by fervent belief is the secret to the power of endorsement.”
James B. Twitchell

Ogilvy on Advertising
by David Ogilvy

Park&Co rates it 5 out of 5

“It’s popularly believed that advertising attracts neurotics who are naturally prone to anxiety.” David Ogilvy

If you are in advertising, this is a book that should be on your shelf. Whether you are in creative or account service, Ogilvy has pinpointed how you can be successful in any position and what to expect in the agency world.

The book also has useful chapters on finding jobs in advertising, winning new clients, and running an agency. Great advice when it comes from David Ogilvy, who was a copywriter and founded the largest advertising agency in the world. What Ogilvy writes about advertising is well worth the read.

Ogilvy knows that an ad campaign, no matter how visually wonderful it may be, must do one thing: sell. Research your client’s business and learn about their competitors, do your homework. This alone, Ogilvy tells us, is not enough, however. You won’t be able to sell the ad if there are no big ideas.

How do you recognize a big idea that will sell? Ask yourself 5 simple questions:

1. Did it make me gasp when I first saw it?
2. Do I wish I had thought of it myself?
3. Is it unique?
4. Does it fit the strategy to perfection?
5. Could it be used for 30 years?

If you are interested in learning how to produce better ads or how to spend your advertising dollars more effectively, you really should read this book. Ogilvy clearly describes what makes great headlines, body copy, and layout, and how to make television campaigns that sell. Throughout the book you will find some of Ogilvy’s own ads and he’s not afraid to list his faults as a learning experience for us all.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in advertising, whether you want to learn more or think you already know everything. Think it may be dated? While the context itself is not up to date—Ogilvy states that the only dramatic change in modern advertising is the television and he makes no reference to the Internet—the advice and lessons he discusses will be used in this industry for years to come. Ogilvy on Advertising is a great read from one of the best in the business.

Why We Buy - The Science of Shopping
by Paco Underhill

Patty O’Toole rates it 3 out of 5

I saw this author on a TV interview and read an article on him by the esteemed Malcolm Gladwell, so I figured this would be a good choice. And given the amount of time I spend in the “retail environment,” I consider myself a bit of an armchair expert on the art of shopping.

The book is an easy read, full of mostly amusing anecdotes and lots of data on people’s store habits and how product placement, store layout, and signage has a direct impact on shopping behavior and sales.

Underhill spends the first part of the book touting his development of Envirosell’s groundbreaking retail research service and its many successes for his retail clients, who suffered the effects of management and merchandisers who were oddly unaware of customer behavior and out of touch with their preferences.

Envirosell’s methodology is based on pure observation—they send trackers who literally follow shoppers around stores for hours to observe their behavior and report back to tabulate results. In one early study a retail CEO had no clue what percent of shoppers who entered his store actually bought anything; turned out it was only 43 percent.

The book is full of interesting and weird observations of human behavior in public spaces, like the “butt brush” factor, whereby shoppers (mainly women) will flee crowded product displays where others can brush up against them. There are also demographic and cultural influences in the way shoppers move through stores—Americans flow to the right, Euros veer to the left, women browse, men don’t, etc.

The effects of product placements—just moving something by one foot—can make a huge difference in sales. Poor product adjacencies affect behavior, i.e., don’t place teen-oriented duds near senior-targeted products because the seniors will avoid the kids. Another hot button for Underhill is accommodating males in department stores. Stores should provide some seating for bored men, but not near the lingerie area (due to an infamous Wonderbra incident).

Underhill describes much experimentation with store signage having a huge impact on sales, e.g., no small hanging signs (shoppers don’t notice them), nothing but basic signage near store entrances (shoppers rush past them). On product signage, labeling, and ads, he predicts increasing problems due to the failing eyesight of the baby boomers (packaging designers and art directors, read this, please…)

Some of the author’s opinions seem rather quaint, like recommending that stores provide baskets or carts for women who carry handbags. No female under 80 carries a “handbag.” He would also like to see computer stores situated next to women’s clothing stores. To pacify the guys, I guess.

So the next time you’re wandering around Sears and you notice someone lingering near you, it could be an Envirosell spy. In honor of good research, ignore them and just make sure they don’t butt brush you.

As for the book’s relevance to our world: Customers are king (or queen) and paying close attention to them is crucial to success in retail.

Relevance to my corner of our world (media planning): Placement is everything!

Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive
by Harvey Mackay

A. René Hinz rates it 3 out of 5

Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive is a straightforward, no nonsense approach to how to succeed in business. The book abounds with advice and case studies, motivating the reader to excel in the business world.

For those who may not be familiar with the author, one only needs to know this: Harvey Mackay is a millionaire and did not waste time waiting for opportunities to seek him out. He is the CEO of Mackay Envelope Corporation, a company he bought for a mere $250,000 that is now valued at over $35 million. Running an envelope company is only a small portion of what this successful man has accomplished in his business and personal life.

The book targets the entrepreneur and primarily focuses on how to get ahead in business and stay one step ahead of the competition. While the advice and “rules” for success cited in the book were not rocket science, they were presented in case study form and included stories of success and defeat in the real business world. While the book did offer some insights in the “do’s and don’ts” of the business world, it failed to actually tell the reader just exactly “how” to achieve success in closing business deals. However, three areas of the book were worth the reading: customer relations, selling tips, and creativity.

Mackay’s section on customer relations really hit home with his philosophy that clients are people, too. While this conclusion may seem strangely obvious, it can be easy to forget when business relationships are strained. One of my favorite quotes from the author is “Most business problems can be solved if you can teach yourself to look beyond the dollar sign. Business revolves around human beings.”

The section on salesmanship and selling tips focused primarily on the basic rules of supply and demand. Several points resonated with me on this topic, including the illusion of demand. Mackay states, “Maintain the illusion of demand regardless of supply.”

Our sense of the worth of an object is not derived from its intrinsic value but from the demand that has been created for that object.” Mackay also strongly encourages the philosophy that it is best to make the customer think that they came up with the idea to buy or sell your product. Mackay points out that “Marketing is not the art of selling. It is the art of creating conditions by which the buyer convinces himself.”

Creativity was actually a constant theme throughout this book. Mackay feels strongly that to be successful in any business, you must be able to think creatively, whether in a sales presentation, marketing campaign, or with customer relationship issues. Mackay is quick to point out that “Efficiency achieved at the expense of creativity is counterproductive” and offers this warning—“Don’t equate activity with efficiency.” He also suggests an open work environment, where ideas can come from any department.

While I found this book helpful in reinforcing some basic customer service and Business 101 rules, I don’t plan on quitting my day job to start my own business just yet.

The Copy Book: How 32 of the World’s Best Advertising Writers Write Their Advertising
by The Designers and Art Directors Association of the U.K.

Dan O’Boyle rates it 3 out of 5

Like a lot of writers, I’m always looking for that one piece of advice that’ll make me want to run to my keyboard every morning instead of doing everything possible to avoid it. After reading The Copy Book: How 32 of the World’s Best Advertising Writers Write Their Advertising, I’m afraid I still fear the blank page, but I do have more conviction in the stuff I eventually spill out.

The Copy Book is a collection of short, instructional essays by some of the finest, most renowned copywriters in the advertising field. You probably wouldn’t recognize their names, but their groundbreaking ads for companies like Volkswagen, Apple and Nikon are instantly familiar to anyone who follows the ad business.

The book is laid out with each writer taking one or two pages to share their approach, then a few more pages to show off their best work. There’s some repetition and contradiction here, but you’ll take away at least one idea or perspective from each of these legends that you hadn’t thought of before. It’s fun to hear the different opinions of the best in the business, and comforting to see that there are a few principles they seem to agree on:

• Know your product and client inside out before doing anything.
• Simplify your idea and your copy. Less is better.
• Conjure up an actual flesh-and-blood reader in your mind and write to him or her, not to a faceless demographic.
• Think visually. You may be a writer, but advertising is a visual trade and it’s getting more so all the time.
• Watch the adjectives, they’re a crutch.
• Read your stuff out loud to check for rhythm and flow.

With 32 different approaches from all over the English-speaking world, there’s bound to be a contradiction or two. The biggest one for me was that every other writer emphasized the importance of editing and brevity, yet many of the ad examples are very long on copy—very good copy, mind you, but very long. This may be due to the fact that some of the ads are 30 or 40 years old, which brings me to my main gripe with The Copy Book: it should be updated with more current writers and work. The classic, predominantly British copywriters featured here have some great advice to be sure, but the style of advertising has changed so much since the 60’s and 70’s that their work has lost some of its relevance.

And another thing. While you’ve got 32 of the best, most experienced advertising minds corralled, why not let them share a few war stories about what creative life was like at those fabled agencies back in the day. I’ve heard tell it was full of much drinkin’, smokin’, late nights and sordid whatnot, and I’m always looking for expert advice in those areas, too. Finally, I know it’s a book on copywriting, but all these guys (and both gals) are also masters at concepting, and it would have been nice to tap their brains for clues to that mystery.

What I liked most about The Copy Book is that it’s not a how-to manual so much as a bunch of 10-minute conversations with ad mentors who share what they’ve learned over illustrious careers in copywriting. And if what works for one doesn’t work for you, you just turn the page and let the next legend introduce himself.

If you’re looking for a good guide to copywriting, The Copy Book isn’t it. But if you’re a more experienced writer in search of something to help take your work from Addy-winning to truly excellent, you’ll find some great insights here.

The End of Marketing as We Know It
by Sergio Zyman

Stan Yamamoto rates it 4 out of 5.

The End of Marketing as We Know It is an insightful and entertaining book from Sergio Zyman, the former chief marketing officer for The Coca-Cola Company. He is a respected and controversial marketing professional with global experience, intellect, and a sense of humor. Zyman’s simple definition of marketing is “How to sell the most stuff and make the most money.” A no-brainer, you say? In Zyman’s experience at Coca-Cola and other companies, it isn’t necessarily so.

Consider that Zyman was the man responsible for pulling the beloved “Mean” Joe Green and “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” Coca-Cola television spots because they did not move cases of Coke. His approach to marketing earned him the nickname “Aya-Cola” by his peers and advertising agencies. Though many of his decisions were highly unpopular, he stayed true to his philosophy that the only real measure of success in building a strong brand is how it positively affects the bottom line. Zyman increased the value of The Coca-Cola Company from $56 billion to $193 billion in just five years.

In his book, Zyman provides provocative strategies to make marketing more science than art. Although Zyman does not dismiss the need for creative aspects of marketing, he does apply a systematic and logical approach to all facets of marketing. By strategically planning your marketing based on return on investment (ROI), you can measure your successes or failures with tangible results. You can then decide whether to maintain, adjust or abandon your strategies or even abandon an entire product line. Zyman illustrates his marketing concepts based on ROI with case studies of his successes and failures, detailing why things worked and why they didn’t.

Zyman continually challenges the reader to develop new reasons to keep customers buying their product – to always think about tomorrow. He preaches that with the proliferation of new avenues to reach consumers, the enormous amount of competition for every consumer dollar and customers’ needs constantly changing, traditional marketing is not dying – it’s dead!

According to Zyman, “In the future, marketing has to be about creating value in the minds of the consumers. This means building brands by identifying the common ground between a consumer and a product or service. It is about deepening these relationships over time. It is about defining expectations and overdelivering on them. And it is about a whole lot of other things that you have to do to keep your product fresh and desirable to consumers.”

Many of the points that Zyman discusses might seem obvious or what we have been doing all along. But then the question that immediately came to my mind is why isn’t everybody doing it like Zyman and, more importantly, why isn’t everybody doing it as successfully as Zyman?

You may not agree with all the ideas that Zyman throws out in his book (I didn’t), but he brings great insights into the vital role of marketing, urges you to think globally, and challenges your marketing thinking in a delightful manner. This book is solid reference for marketing beginners or seasoned professionals.