We complain about the devaluing of creative work, then we feed our creative work into AI... for free. And no one sees a problem?

Brevity. Talk less, but say more. Powerful advertising is singular in its message. Stop talking so much in ads.

Listening is a superpower. And the secret to powerful copywriting. The best copywriters listen to how people speak to each other; what clients say casually; and most importantly what they do not say. Listen carefully. Not for selling points but a human moment.

The only thing missing is Luther to 'angry' translate his response.😂 www.facebook.com/reel/7773771...

"Holy copulation. If this does everything they claim - this is huge," I say to myself. Then I look at the faces of the client's team, and ain't nobody excited. Hmm. Either I'm not understanding right or they are too close to see what they have built. Time will tell.

It's so disheartening to see people so broken that the idea of taking a "leap of faith" is no longer an option. Intuition is not enough. Our understanding of our own humanity isn’t to be trusted. We believe we can research our way to better understanding humans. The arrogance.

Gravy is a culinary sauce. You need to put some respect on its name. And making a rue requires skill. Southern cooking is a cuisine worthy of respect. I said it.

One-hit wonders have more 'hit' than most.

Disagreeing with clients is not fun, or something one should do without thinking things through. However. Disagreeing with clients is part of the job. I'd rather piss a client off by telling them what they need to hear, than to let them hurt their business. Foolish, I know.

For the love of all that is holy! If you are asked to tell someone about yourself - do not pitch what you do or own!! Tell them about you. Turn the off the copulating selling! Talk to the person, not the prospect.

Every client does not deserve to be a great brand. Their: • Leadership is weak, fearful, and safe • Product/service is barely okay • Customer service is anything but service • Quality is inconsistent • Prices are a joke for what they offer Where is the great?

Of course, learn AI. However: • Stay curious • Listen more • Practice the skills of your craft • Ask 'why' a lot • Run towards feelings, not away • Take your time • Embrace being human • People watch more • Look up from the screens Do all this, and you will master AI.

I focus on the creative so much because that used to be the business we were in - providing creative solutions cloaked as advertising. What is an advertising agencies' product today?

Art direction is more than the art part. Copywriting is more than the writing part. A lot more. These are the two primary creative positions in adv., and most agency folks have no clear understanding what it is they do. Don't. If we understood, we'd be staffed differently.

Being a comedian looks easy from the audience. But step up to the mic and discover how difficult it is to be funny on demand, repeatedly. Being an advertising creative is the same. Try being creative everyday, on demand - not just when the feeling hits you.

Just so that I'm clear: You have a job you were hired for, with dedicated responsibilities, but you feel you're qualified to go into another department, claiming that you can do their jobs just as well as them. And if they object - they are the ones with an ego problem. Right.

I got a new book in the mail! I am actually a little giddy about this! "Pitch Black: The Best Black Ads Of The Past 50 Years" by Mark Robinson

Let it be known that a prophet came to tell the truth. And that he did.

Sherrilyn Ifill@sifill.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Feeling overwhelmed with all of this. LISTEN. Another Louisiana resident (Marshawn is the only name we have) testifies against the state’s racial gerrymander, speaking truth to power up and down the hearing room and predicts how this story will end. Speak your truth, fight and believe.

There's some amazingly creative and impactful advertising work waiting to be made. There's also some highly pedestrian and safe advertising working waiting to be made. Your choice.

I may disagree with the concept selected at the agency, but in front of the client, that same concept has my full support. We win or lose as a team. Some of you apparently did not get the memo. Never undermine the agency team in front of the client. Never.

No matter how long you work in advertising, it never gets easy to watch a strong concept that does everything it needs to do for the client, die a slow death of a thousand cuts (suggestions). And if you can sit there not upset, it is time for you to go. Your jadedness has won.

Nothing has to be complicated about creating advertising that meets the client's needs, not wants. At the encouraging (bullying) of clients, we have added all this extra to justify our compensation and the work. We have made advertising intentionally complicated.

I don't need a computer to write an ad. My art director does need a computer to art direct an ad. Neither of us needs a computer to develop a concept. And neither does any 'real' creative. (I almost went too far right here)

In the name of efficiency, we've made doing our jobs too complicated. Humor me. Think about your actual job, and what it takes for you to do it well. Hold that thought. Now, think about how you actually work - the things you have to do to do your job. Are they the same?

Sadly, the first brand to master 'decent' customer service will be hailed as brilliant. It's sad because 'decent' should not be celebrated. But right now, 'bad' is the norm. It's like brands are saying, "copulate it, these morons will buy our crap anyway." They aren't wrong.

Create advertising concepts so powerful, so human that they don't require an explanation. This is the goal. We've all seen, read, heard, or experience advertising like this. Something that simply spoke to us. That is great advertising. Everything else is settling. Don't.

I'm not right in the head, or more running a Kickstarter campaign pre-launch. "Man, ask for XYZ with your Kickstarter," them. "Why? That's a lot more than I need to publish the book," me. "Because you can make a lot more," them. "I don't need a lot more, I need this," me.

Man, my @kickstarter.com for my book failed miserably back in Oct. So, there's only one thing to do - blame Kickstarter? Ah, no. I didn't work the system the way I should have, and I failed. Lord, that's a hard pill to swallow. I failed. I also learned. I'm not giving up.

Quality. Quality is the innovation I so dearly wish everyone chased as hard as we chase ease and profit. Chase quality. Hard. Be dogmatic about doing things well. Go on and on about maintaining a higher standard. Annoy people with your obsession with quality. Quality.

Asking a person to pay their dues is not gatekeeping. It is asking a person to put in the work, to hone their skills, and learn their craft. If you don't believe you have anything else to learn, you're in for a rude awakening.