Letters

Three Ways to Keep Advertising ‘Magic’

I concur with Steve Novick’s concerns about the excessive control and rigidity of advertising today [March 11]. In particular, the frame-by-frame objectives story is all too familiar and chilling.

I would add that the “magic” of advertising happens in three ways clients tend to forget:

1. The power of the ingoing advertising idea, and the insight behind it. For example, the strength of Volkswagen’s “Drivers wanted” campaign is that it springs from a simple yet fabulous target insight: There is an important segment of the target audience who are passionate about their cars.