A continuation of the thoughts on advertising mini series. Previous part here.

Antaeus was a giant in greek mythology, also the son to Poseidon. He would travel across the country and challenge anyone to wrestle – and he always win. He would pin his victims on the ground and crush them. He built a temple to his father, Poseidon, using his victims’ skulls. However, Antaeus had a trick – he derived his powers directly from contact with his mother: Gaia, or earth. Physically separated from Earth, he lost all powers. One day on a road trip, Hercules was stopped by Antaeus, who challenged Hercules to fight. Hercules understood the only weakness of Antaeus, defeated him in a wrestling match, by lifting him off the ground and crushing him.

Just like Antaeus, advertising cannot be removed from contact with the product. Any separate from the 2 will inevitably lead to failure.

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Advertising employed as a method of deceiving may work for a while, but will inevitably lead to the brand’s failure. If most businesses only depend on the first sale, then it may work. But this is not reality.

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What you won’t say to customers in person, don’t say it in your ads.

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Advertising will always be as good as your product. Customers may be temporarily fooled by deceiving ads, but the product will always be its last verdict. No one is exempt from this principle.

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If you don’t believe you have a good product, don’t advertise.

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Advertising should only be used as a medium to push more good into the world.

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The best advertising is only as good as your weakest product in the line.

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Advertising is directly responsible for a lot of economic activity in the world.

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Advertising is impersonal. It does not know if your product is good or not. Neither does it care. Our customers are always the verdict.

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Because of its inability to judge, it will readily reward companies for exchanging fair value and punishes companies that try to deceive in ads.

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Above all, advertising is to be founded on honesty and fair value. If the product fails to do so, it is bound to collapse like a house of cards.

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Advertising that fails to put their best foot forward – are like ships that pass in the night.

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“You must make the product interesting, not just make the ad different.” – Rosser Reeves

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“All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarise that society. We can brutalise it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level.” – William Bernbach

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“Advertising doesn’t create a product advantage. It can only convey it.” – William Bernbach

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“Keep it simple. Let’s do the obvious thing – the common thing – but let’s do it uncommonly well.” – Leo Burnett

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“If you don’t get noticed, you don’t have anything. You just have to be noticed, but the art is in getting noticed naturally, without screaming or tricks.” – Leo Burnett

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“Advertising says to people, ‘here’s what we’ve got. Here’s what it will do for you. Here’s how to get it.'” – Leo Burnett

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“Don’t tell me how good you make it; tell me how good it makes me when I use it.” – Leo Burnett

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“What helps people, helps business.” – Leo Burnett

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“Mirror the reader to himself and then show him afterward how your product fits his needs.” – Raymond Rubicam

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“The value of an ad is in inverse ratio to the number of times it has been used.” – Raymond Rubicam

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“The only purpose of advertising is to sell. It has no other function worth mentioning.” – Raymond Rubicam

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