Der Motz vom Butz: What have we learned from the Motzerei?
Before we put our feet up, let’s recap everything that went wrong in advertising communications—and why. By Theophil Butz, once a star advertising executive (Ringier), now an inspiration, and from now on, a complainer as well.
What this is all about: So far in 2012, I've issued a mottos twelve times and a praise once (Advertising Week May 25). Since I realize that despite my advertising theories, the same mistakes are made over and over again, I have decided to hold a recap lesson.
Moth 1: Saving in the wrong place. Nespresso spent 80,000 francs a month on a single poster display at Zurich station. They saved on a professional designer. You can only save on media costs to a limited extent, but if the TV, radio or poster message is not professional and the target group doesn't understand anything, then saving is nonsense. Better to do nothing.
Moth 2: Texts aimed at Denner customers should be understood by them with a smile. Only the makers understand copywriting and insider wordplay. How did Deutsche Bahn describe a winter picture back then: "Everyone's talking about the weather. Not us." So write in plain language.
Moth 3: Car advertising is just a series of the same benefits being offered (Euro discount, super leasing, new, complete, etc.). Almost no one has a clear positioning, everyone talks the same. We learn that the brave will be the winners. VW has always done good advertising and God knows it hasn't done any harm. On the contrary.
Moth 4: VBZ sold their rail vehicles to the private sector without any aesthetic restrictions. If ten international artists had been chosen and Sunrise had selected one of them, these streetcars would not be so ugly, but small works of art. And Sunrise could be proud. And the VBZ too. So, no good solution without a concept.
Moth 5: The name and corporate identity are an important key to the success of a company or product. So a professional approach is crucial. No cheap quick fixes.
Moth 6: Using Renault's old-fashioned and unstylish brochure, printed in millions, I made it clear that cheap advertising also makes the product cheap. We learn from this that uninteresting advertising also makes the product uninteresting. That's clear.
Moth 7: The telephone directory, an absolutely superfluous money-making exercise. Lesson learned: don't waste paper without having an important message.
Moth 8: The fact that the magazine "in", which arrives in my letterbox almost every week, thinks I'm a Neanderthal with its content is also a waste of paper. We learn from this that consumers are not messies or Neanderthals.
Moth 9: With a lot of money and unnecessarily massive advertising, only a monopolist like Swisscom can appear. We learn from this that the biggest should also do the best advertising. But at home itself.
Praise 10: The Lovely dairy cow. We learn from this that the best advertising memories are achieved with continuity.
Moth 11: Marlboro may no longer be the leader. We learn from this that the cowboy, i.e. the continuity, is missing.
Moth 12: The advertisement for Swisscom's home country has left me speechless and penniless. We learn: Why wander far away ... (I don't find the new TV commercial crazy at all.).
Moth 13: Telemarketing is a clever idea, but everyone gets on your nerves. There should be a better approach. Come up with something. I hope you will work diligently on everything and generate entertaining, simpler, more original and long-term advertising after the summer vacation. I've got the idea that I don't have to write a moth for a month now, so I can put my feet up (see picture).
By Theophil Butz, once a star advertiser (Ringier), now an inspirer and, from now on, a mocker. "Not an easy role, but a necessary one, which I perform here every 14 days." Please send any relevant information to [email protected].
