How Does Perspective Affect Advertising?

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By: Dwayne W. Waite Jr.

"The consumer isn't a moron; she's your wife."
-David Ogilvy

Ogilvy, and many others, understood that good advertising came from those who knew who their audience was. Not only the facts about the audience, but how Adfolks perceived them to be. For example, if we were to target U.S. teenage males, and Ad Sample 1 had a reference to Aristotle while Ad Sample 2 had a fart joke, which one would win? Perhaps the better question is, which one would you expect to win?

The question was a matter of perspective. Ad Sample 1 would no doubt have substance in the campaign; the young men would not only have to think about what the campaign was saying, but would have to know what to think in order to understand it. The campaign would assume that boys read the classics and would be versed enough to pull out an Aristotle reference. The creators of the campaign would then be assuming that their audience is stimulated by intellectual thought. The latter, Ad Sample 2, assumes that young boys like fart jokes and would relate the ad to other young boys who like fart jokes.

See the difference?

On one hand, there is an ad that can capture so much: history, art, philosophy, and an homage to a great thinker. The other: fart jokes. It may take a creative mind to create campaigns for either, but at the end of the day, which campaign would a creative director be proud of?

No offense to fart jokes.

If we think that the people we are sending messages to are stupid, we're going to create stupid advertising. Thank goodness Miller Lite got the hint and stopped the "Man Up" commercials. They must have thought that men tease each other with beer like they do with liquor. Wrong.

Let's say we were creating messaging for a brand that our significant other would patronize. How would your perspective change? For guys, would you appreciate the conversation between the creatives and the photographers about the swimsuit ads they were creating if your girl wore those swimsuits all the time?

No, you wouldn't.

If we all believe in the "join the conversation" stuff, and that the Information Age has truly created smarter consumers, then let's get with the program and create smarter, more entertaining advertising. People are so weary of bad advertising. They are in the ripe position to be shown some high-quality stuff.

Let's switch gears and create some really sweet creative. Let's see if the consumer is as smart as we think she is.

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About the Author

Dwayne W. Waite Jr. is partner and principal at JDW: The Charlotte Agency, a marketing and advertising shop in Charlotte, NC. He enjoys consumer behavior, economics, and football.

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