Hey there!

Summer is flying by and it seems like the days are getting shorter but hey, I kinda love Autumn/Winter too. Less heat and it always seems easier to just do the work.

This week I have something special for you guys, I wanted to take a trip down memory lane and break down the top 3 ads from the Mad Men era with greats like David Ogilvy and Doyle Dane Bernbach.

When I first read “Ogilvy on Advertising” I was amazed by the fact that such long advertisements could convert people, also realised that people couldn’t just tap their screen and purchase but actually had to write down their details and send their details via the postal services to make a purchase. Talk about the possible friction for people to make a purchase.

As an advertiser every word counted and you had to be so damn convincing with the words you use it’s almost incomprehensible in today’s age with the speed at which things develop.

So buckle up for this week’s episode of AdVentue we’re going back in time

Rolls-Royce

This ad is considered to be the greatest ad of all time, arguably. I do agree that this is one of the best written headlines I’ve ever seen.

Fun fact: David Ogilvy spent 3 weeks reading, studying and asking questions about the Rolls-Royce to produce this ad. It’s stunning to me how in-depth they did their research. Even Ogilvy himself said it was the best headline he ever written: “ "At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock."

When reading the headline you really get put in the position of sitting in the driver’s seat, accelerating and the car being so silent that you could only hear the electric clock ticking.

Also, watch how they break up each paragraph in this ad, it’s super easy to digest as a ready as every benefit point is broken down for you in a paragram. Talk about the effectiveness of ad copy.

In the ad, there is also a little snippet about Rolls-Royce making jet engines. You may think, why is this relevant? Well, it boosts the credibility of the car manufacturer as jets use their engines too. Jets are considered to be vehicles that are built very meticulously so no errors can be made. Those same engines in your car, well that must be a great car.

In the ad image you can see a family, they wanted to position the car as a family car. Arguably to go after a very big market instead of just promoting it as a business car, something that Rolls-Royce is now known for.

Due to this ad in 1958 sales rose 50% compared to the year before, talk about the effect of ONE AD!

Copywriting - 10/10
Visuals - 9/10
Likeliness to convert - 9/10
Overall rating - 9.5/10

Hathaway

The origin of making a hook.

The eye patch. It’s function?

Generate curiosity, grab attention, stop the reader from reading further.

He could have used a normal man, but a normal man in a shirt wouldn’t grab as much attention as this man did.

The ad starts with how men are buying new suits, but their shirts are not up to par with them. They frame their current shirts as mass-produced and cheap which spoils the effect of a good suit.

With this ad they want people to believe that the Hathaway shirts are something else. Something they have never seen or experienced before. They are bridging the gap of their current situation to a possible new situation.

Followed by that they go into the product benefits of the colours, the tails how they stay in your trousers. The buttons are made of pearl which is very masculine and even the stitching has elegance to it.

They end the ad by talking about the company being a small company with dedicated craftsmen in a little town. This implies they aren’t mass-produced and have an eye for detail. They have been at it for 114 years, this implies some sort of trust.

Copywriting - 9/10
Visuals - 8/10
Likeliness to convert - 8.5/10
Overall rating - 7.5/10

Volkswagen

People like to think big. This headline is a very good pattern interrupt. If I’d seen this on my newsfeed today, I’d stop as it has been indoctrinated to always think big so this arouses some curiosity about what this ad is all about.

This ad, catered towards Americans, was meant to sell a small car to a predominantly heavy audience catered towards muscle cars. Good luck selling the complete opposite…

But they have never seen a car like the Volkswagen before. So they started talking about the benefits of a small car.

• Easy to park

• Less insurance costs

• Small repair bills

• Less gas

Simplicity over power and luxury.

Something novel, sparks the curiosity. Selling something catered towards problems the Americans were facing but, at the time, didn’t have a solution for.

Copywriting - 8/10
Visuals - 8/10
Likeliness to convert - 8/10
Overall rating - 8/10

All the best,

Dennis 💚

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