Advertising? What the fuck?

Just kidding, I hate love advertising. Let's talk more about it.

the cover design is kind of oogly.

This is an extraordinarily relevant topic. Advertising in my mind has traditionally sucked major donkey gonads for the most part, but lately that seems to be changing. And I think it'll be interesting to see how the smarter agencies start incorporating graphic designers into the mix, as they begin to understand the importance of consistent visual identity. Or even just the benefit of powerful visuals, good typography, balance, and all that sort of stuff.

Anybody have any favorite campaigns, specific ads, things you hated more than Thursday night infomercials? Or what about individuals? Helmut Krone, Hal Riney, and Bill Bernbach all did astoundingly wonderful things for the creative profession. Hell, Bernbach and Rand worked together and that's enough for me...such a shame that fewer and fewer ad students and almost no designers in general know about him.

Anyone remember "Advertising by Dick," the campaign for Miller that came out years ago from Fallon McElligot? I liked that. I also like those Miller High Life commercials...how can you go wrong when Errol Morris directs? Not enough TV spots capture such a distinct essence through not only the writing, but especially the whole look of them.

Right now I still like Ogilvy's work for IBM, as well as what they've been doing for American Express Open (Boyko wrote quite an article on how important a role design plays in that campaign just a few months ago). Cramer Krasselt's print work for Hyatt was remarkable too, and I love the IKEA spots from Crispin Porter. However, I've never really cared one way or another for the MINI stuff...that product kinda sells itself, and I think the type looks--yes, I'm gonna say it--HORSEY. Very Mr. Ed. Sometimes I like the HP goodies from Goodby, sometimes I really don't. I can't remember the name of the Minneapolis agency that creates all the stuff for Target, but the series of the household products or cereal boxes and other banalities used to create a monochromatic environment kicked ass. And Graphic Havoc did a helluva job on some of the TV spots...and more props if they did the one with Andrew W.K.'s DON'T STOP LIVING IN THE RED in the background.

As a general rule I hate pretty much everything so obviously targeted at people my age (24)--that includes Mitsubishi and Toyota especially. Very bland. Very much "we know you! this is what you kids like! So here's the most literal rendition we could imagine!" Not quite, bucko. Could be worse. Could be FORD.

For my money though, CORE in St. Louis still does the most wildly creative and entrancing work out there for client's you'd never expect. Like Monsanto. Or pork genetics. Oooh. Those two just ring with creative potential. I like ads for products or services that look almost impossible to sell.

385 dollars! WHAT?!

And yeah, that cover design might just turned off the best graphic designers from ever entering the field...

This is like the Bass-o-matic right? pay $385 for a bunch of ads?

nice idea. curious execution.

holy shit. $385! Damn -- for $425, you can get an Eames plywood 'potato chip' chair online. Just sit yourself in front of the TV, and surf all the ads you want.

seriously though, interesting topic for a book...but that cover...blech!!

do what now? i got the new emigre today. armin's article is very nice. but we should start a thread and rip him a new one anyway! sound good AV?

Last time I spent 385 $ (actually 385 �, I'm from Italy) I bought a 10 Gb iPod w/remote... Probably the book is printed in gold and diamonds powder!

I think we could launch a small contest here to design a better-looking-jacket to cover that kinda 80s memorabilia (think it wouldn't be such an hard task).

Anyone saw the HP tv commercial which showed a Porsche and the wind running around it? I think it's the last intriguing tv ad I've seen in month here in Italy (I should say I watch tv very rarely).

I find the whole HP campaign is interesting. Someone pointed that out elsewhere in another discussion, posting the right link to all hp ads, look for it!

Also last year BMW campaign was great, from the tv commercials to the press ads and even bills. They combined their totally elegant style with very smart lines, making some of the more intelligent ad I've seen in time. One of my best ad appeared on newspapers to promote BMW C1 motorcycle, whose preliminar feature is that it can be driven without helmet. The ad showed a small baby using an helmet as a potty chair, the line just saying "C1. The only one you can drive without helmet".

$385 is as — if not less — ludicrous as advertising agancies' Art Directors thinking they can do good design.

(Psst...Tan...I found the potato chip chair for $349. And yea, I'd probably take the chair over the encyclopedia.)

right on Darrel! That's an awesome price...now if I could only convince the wife.....

frick. that much for a chair even is ridiculous. That being said I am a bit biased with my $70 full set of 50's style kitchen chairs (6) and chrome table. I like finding treasures for cheap.

The cover is a huge problem for me. I'd be curious to see the inside, but if it's as bad as the cover I wouldn't pay more than $20 for it. I just can't bring myself to buy badly designed books, especially if they're on design (or advertising). This is an excellent example of how bad design can un-sell something.

Speaking of advertising, I like humour in TV ads (like the Spike Jonez(sp?) IKEA ads), but I've always heard that it doesn't "sell".

Did anyone ever see the anti-smoking ad where the guy goes bungee jumping and spontaneously explodes? Absolutely hysterical. (In the immortal words of Drusilla, from Buffy, "Do it again! Do it again!")

Yeah I loved the blowing up bungee jumper thing too...that campaign came from Crispin Porter Bogusky in Miami, who also did MINI, who also created the IKEA spots that Spike Jonze directs.

Humor can sell. Its just that you've--guess what--gotta have some kinda strategy behind it...and nothing's worse than humor that doesn't work.

The whole Truth campaign was cool, but...not exactly a tough argument...although, I think it was pretty effective. I've managed to quit smoking. For like, a few weeks at a time every now and then.

And I second Armin--I can think of very few agency art directors who can design.

Bradley - you're right. Helmut Krone, Bill Bernbach. The heroes. Check out Beirut's piece (a designer!) on Krone at Design Observer. And he's right, the book is good.
Alain