He went from the Downtown comedy clubs to the hallowed halls of the J. Walter Thompson ad agency. He started by writing ads and followed his mentor, James Patterson, into the world of writing mysteries, becoming an advertising creative director … [Continue reading] about An Interview with Mystery Writer Chris Grabenstein
The crimes they commit against their ads
Advertisers sabotage themselves in countless ways. But of all the ways to go wrong, this one is the CAPITAL crime of direct response advertising. And, while it's a crime of omission, it murders sales (and growth) like no other. What is … [Continue reading] about The crimes they commit against their ads
Strange Ads That Sell
Have you ever noticed an ad in a newspaper or magazine and thought to yourself: "Who'd be crazy enough to pay for such an insertion?" Then you see the same ad again and raise your eyebrows. By the tenth time you come across the ad, you may not … [Continue reading] about Strange Ads That Sell
Before banks were synonymous with vampire squids
Here's a lead generation ad, or a want ad if you will, from Merrill Lynch during their halcyon days in the early 1970s. Before the era of the vampire squids and the CEOs who detonated century old companies with toxic derivatives, Merrill was a … [Continue reading] about Before banks were synonymous with vampire squids
Sarah and the Webatronics Tele Scam
Seth Godin sold a fair number of books with the title, All Marketers Are Liars. And these days, that's just scratching the surface. It seems no matter which way you turn, there's no shortage of nefarious types willing to prey on good-natured -- … [Continue reading] about Sarah and the Webatronics Tele Scam