Top 100 Campaigns
By: Naja Faysal
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 1

“Advertising is selling Twinkies to
adults" (Donald R. Vance)
“Advertising is the science of
arresting the human intelligence
long enough to get money from it.“
(Stephen Butler Leacock)
"Advertising is an environmental
striptease for a world of
abundance." (Marshall McLuhan)
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 2

Kurt Kroner/
Creative Revolution
Kurt Kroner
A Hero in
Advertising…
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 3

Kurt Kroner/
Creative Revolution
The man behind the
defining example of
the greatest
advertising campaign
of the century.
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 4

Kurt Kroner/
Creative Revolution
Kurt Kroner was the
one to flag a
blemished chrome
strip on the glove
compartment of a
1961 Volkswagen
Beetle and reject the
vehicle for delivery.
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 5

Kurt Kroner/
Creative Revolution
Kroner gave us the famously
failed and fabulously forlorn. . .
"Lemon.“
He also gave advertising
permission to surprise, to defy
and to engage the consumer
without bludgeoning him about
the face and body.
Kroner offered up a lemon with
approximately the same result of
Eve offering the apple. Not only
did everything change, but
suddenly things were a lot more
interesting.
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 6

Kurt Kroner/
Creative Revolution
Adman Pundit Jerry
Della Femina has
written:
"In the beginning,
there was
Volkswagen. That was
the day when the new
advertising agency
was really born."
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 7

Kurt Kroner/
Creative Revolution
"Lemon." "Think
Small." The TV spot
called "Funeral."
They weren't the
earliest salvos of the
revolution, but they
were -- in their
assiduously quiet
way -- the loudest.
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 8

Kurt Kroner/
Creative Revolution
"Let us prove to the
world, that good taste,
good art, good writing
can be good selling."
wrote William Bernbach
in his 1949 manifesto
for the "creative
revolution," "
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 9

The turning point…
Kroner’s age experiments a
revolution in advertising. The
unexpected Ad concept done by
Avis: “we are number 2, we try
harder” was not just a tag line, it
was a revolution, a new advertising
philosophy…
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 10

The 60’s were a period of crisis,
turbulence, and radical movements
in American history. Among other
things, it was a time of massive
anti-business sentiment.
Advertising, as part of the business
establishment was under fire. The
advertising industry faced one of
its most challenging times.
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 11

How did they get into the Top
100
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 12

Does successful campaigns
have to employ celebrities?
Do they have to evoke sex?
Do they have to play on
consumer’s fear and
insecurities?
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 13

Numerical Facts
7 of the top 100
campaigns employ
celebrities.
8 evoke sex.
4 play on consumer’s
fear and insecurities.
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 14

What is the secret then?
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 15

1. The campaign should be a
watershed, discernibly changing
the culture of advertising or the
popular culture as a whole.
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 16

Volkswagen, “Think Small”, DDB, 1959
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 17

Avis, “We try harder”, DDB, 1963
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 18

Clairol, “Does she… or doesn’t she?”, Foote, Cone & Belding, 1957
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 19

Clairol, “Does she… or doesn’t she?”, Foote, Cone & Belding, 1957
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 20

Woodbury Soap, “The skin you love to touch”, J. Walter Thompson Co., 1911
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 21

2. The campaign itself should be credited
with creating a category, or if by its
efforts a brand became entrenched* in
its category as No.1.
*entrenched: well-established, deep rooted
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 22

Absolut Vodka, “The Absolut Bottle”, TBWA, 1981
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 23

DeBeers, “A diamond is forever”, N.W. Ayer & Son, 1948
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 24

3. The campaign should simply be
unforgettable...
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 25

Pepsi-Cola, “Pepsi-Cola hits the spot”, Newell-Elmmett Co., 1940s
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 26

M&Ms, “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands”, Ted Bates & Co., 1954
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 27

Budweiser, “This Bud’s for you”, D’Arcy Masius Beneton & Bowles, 1970s
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 28

And now how are ads
judged?
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 29

This is how JWT does it (this
company is 150 years old)
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 30

#1 Damaging
Nestle
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 31

#1 Damaging
This work is worse than a waste of
time.
It is damaging to both the client
and us.
You'd be better off staying at home
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 32

#2 Wasteful
Benedryl,
Allergy Tablet
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 33

#2 Wasteful
This work is a waste of time
People will actively avoid it
You have wasted both the clients
time and your own resources
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 34

#3 Boring
Smirnoff
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 35

#3 Boring
Both the idea and execution are
ordinary.
The customer will tune out before
it's finished.
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 36

#4 Predictable Ad:
VisineRedEyes
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 37

#4 Predictable Ad:
This is soundly executed but bland.
People have seen it all before and
will get to the end of the message
before you do.
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 38

#5 Competent
R05AutumnM
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 39

#5 Competent
The idea is told in an interesting
way or it is well executed.
People will give you time to
complete your message.
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 40

#6 Rewarding
Weight Watchers
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 41

#6 Rewarding
This work will get noticed.
People will feel rewarded having
spent time with it.
Its impact will linger longer than the
duration of the message.
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 42

#7 Innovative
KENCO
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 43

#7 Innovative
This is innovative work and the
best example of this category in
the network.
Its refreshing message and
execution will ensure that people
will want to see it again.
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 44

#8 Market Leading
AXE
axe intl.mpeg
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 45

#8 Market Leading
This is the best work in the
category in the world.
It leads the market and people will
take the time to rethink their
perception of the brand and the
category.
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 46

#9 World Class
Amnesty - teleshop
Amnesty - teleshop - 09.mov
alternative
Mc Donalds.mpg
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 47

#9 World Class
The idea competes with the very
best ideas in the world.
People are talking about it in their
own time.
It will make the brand, client and
network famous.
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 48

#10 World Beating
Honda
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 49

#10 World Beating
This sets a new standard in the world of
communication.
It is an entirely new idea that is highly
involving.
The audience will spend time exploring
and playing with the idea.
It is being talked about world wide.
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 50

What conclusions can you draw
from going through the top 100
campaigns of the century?
What common thread runs through
the 100 greatest campaigns of 100
years?
What is the defining nature of this
particular instrument of this
particular immortals?
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 51

It may amuse some, and horrify others
that from the top 100 advertising
campaigns, there are 2 air polluters
(VW & Avis), nutrition less sugar
water (Coca-Cola), 1 reviled
carcinogen (Marlboro), 2 companies
infamous for the use of virtual slave
labor (DeBeers & Nike), 1 purveyor of
savory cardiovascular time bombs
(McDonald’s), 2 booze peddlers
(Absolute & Miller Lite), and 1
cosmetic product preying on the
vanity of women (Clairol).
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 52

We are NOW inclined to believe
that the best advertising is bound
eventually to emerge from the
biggest categories, and the biggest
categories consists of things
people most desire.
“people do not desire wheat germ”
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 53

The BIG SECRET of the top ad
campaigns in the century is that
they were able to overflow with the
Human Truth.
These campaigns have discovered
our humanity. They have touched
us, understood us, reflected our
lives and often enough enriched
them.
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 54

The Marlboro man is the most
successful ad symbol of all time.
His portrayal of ruggedness and
independence is in fact a symbol of
enslavement to an addictive drug,
isn’t it?
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 55

Thank You
7/7/2006 Naja Faysal, Spring 2006 56