Here is a video produced in the UK demonstrating how well subliminal advertising works. You will see two advertising executives being taken in, which I assume is a legit experiment, but perhaps this is only an elaborate hoax.
It is also interesting that some of the comments in the very beginning of the clip say things I have been saying right here about the purpose of advertising being to give the consumer a sense of familiarity with the product. It is all about making him/her feel comfortable with the product, as if it is an old and trusted friend.
Watch the clip and enjoy. Warning: it is 6:39 minutes long but worth the time.
This assumes you also have good designers.... But the designer can't do it alone. Romance takes two.
The best and usually most effective designs are products of a good marriage between the agency and the client. Each has a role to play in the romance. You can have really great designers on the agency side, but if the client side is populated with people who lack creativity, daring, and a clear understanding of their limitations, then you usually get bad design. There is way too much bad design out there.
Designers spend four years (or more) earning a degree in their trade and even more years developing their training and skills. The client pays them well. Get your money's worth out of them - let them design!
Good designers can deliver daring and motivating designs, but unless the client shares that daring spirit and is willing to trust the designer's training and instincts, the designs become only average and not terribly effective.
There is an old computer saying, "Garbage in - garbage out!"
That means, like computers, what you get out of a designer is often only worth what you put in. Feed them little and you should not expect much. You must give them the right information, so they can effectively do their jobs. But when you do, watch out!
Each partner in this romance we call "good design" has a part to play. When each plays his/her own part and plays it well, the results are beautiful to behold.
The difference between marketing, PR, advertising, and branding.
