Ads that stick

Advertisers are almost willing to kill to find out what will stick in our minds. I was just reading an article complaining that people won't watch 30-second ads anymore, so they have to find sneakier ways to implant messages in our brains, such as by including them in video-enabled shopping carts.

But you know what? There is actually an ad that I remember clearly from the 1970s. And it's not one of those famous ones like "Mikey" or "Where's the Beef"-- so listen up, all you brainwashers.

This ad is for Skippy dog food, a tiny brand that no one has ever heard of and is probably long out of business. It was a short ad with a single, simple set: just the standard white countertop in front of a white background. In the opening scene, a dog dish sat on the counter, filled with canned dog food. An off-camera voice said, "Skippy dog food tastes as good as it looks." And then a hand came from stage left and put down the can of Skippy food on the counter, with a metallic crung.

That was it. It probably cost the company all of $300 to make that ad.

But I remember it 30 years later. Here's a novel concept: maybe simplicity sticks. Instead of yelling louder and louder, like at the proverbial cocktail party, try speaking softly for a change.