After completing the reading, students will reflect and analyze the main ideas and themes discussed in Chapters 2 and 3 of Hey Whipple Squeeze. They should consider how these concepts relate to contemporary advertising practices and share their insights on the relevance and applicability of the principles discussed in the book.
Questionnaire: Respond to the following questions based on the reading:
a. How does Luke Sullivan define the role of creativity in advertising, according to Chapters 2 and 3?
b. Discuss the importance of understanding the target audience and consumer behavior in advertising strategy, as emphasized in the reading.
c. What are some key principles of effective copywriting outlined in Chapter 3?
d. Share an example of a successful advertising campaign that demonstrates the principles discussed in the reading. Explain how the campaign aligns with the concepts presented in āHey, Whipple, Squeeze This.ā
e. Reflect on how the insights gained from the reading assignment can inform your approach to future advertising projects or campaigns.
DueĀ Thursday 2/27
a. Creativity in advertising isnāt just about making things look cool, but itās about getting peopleās attention and making them care. A good ad is simple and sticks in peopleās minds.
b. Ads only work if they talk to the right people. You need to know who your audience is and what will make them stop and pay attention.
c. Good copywriting is clear. It should sound like a person talking. The first words have to grab attention fast and the whole message should be easy to understand.
d. Appleās āThink Differentā campaign showed famous smart people and had a short inspiring message: āThink Different.ā It didnāt need a lot of words or flashy effects. It spoke directly to creative people and made them feel like Apple understood them.
e. This book teaches that ads should be clear, simple, and made for the right people. Moving forward, Iāll focus on making sure my messages are easy to understand and connect with people emotionally. Instead of just trying to make things look good, Iāll think more about what will actually make someone stop and care.
A. Creativity in advertising is primarily about enticing consumers to buy whatever product you are promoting and building rapport with them to continue trusting you as a company. Creativity is like a touch of magic to make promotions look fun.
B. Understanding your target audience and consumer behavior is important because not everyone reacts positively to whatever message you throw to them so you have to understand the population that are close and far from you to see how you can maintain and get new customers.
C. The key principles of effective copywriting are the message being clear, concise and interesting for consumers to instantly engage in and grasp.
D. The “You’re not you when you’re hungry” campaign produced by Snickers demonstrates the principles that build a successful ad campaign. It had humor to it and reflected the crankiness of people when they’re hungry and the relief after having a Snicker bar. They understood the psychology of customers and played on it.
E. The book teaches us that ad campaigns should be understandable, exciting and targeted to your audience properly. I will make sure my campaigns execute their messages clearly while attempting to use authentic, out-of-the-box ideas. Being different gets you eyes.
a. Creativity in advertising targets the audience in a way that gets the audience to understand what kind of business is being promoted and engage them in that kind of business.
b. To know who the target audience is, you would have to point out the problems that the audience would have and then figure out how to approach that problem.
c. The message needs to be concise and clear in order to have a grasp at good copywriting.
d. Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign delivered a message that the beauty campaign really needed such as building self-confidence towards women and children and redefine beauty.
e. This book gives us a proper headstart on how to create ads for a certain target audience and use it to promote business.
A . He highlights that being creative is about finding original and appealing solutions to that appel to customers, not just coming up with amazing ideas. In order to make message memorable and emotionally compelling, advertising must overcome skepticism.
B . Successful advertising establishes a personal connection with customers. He emphasizes on the studying cosumer behavior. Advertising runs the risk of being disregarded or ignored without this.
C. Effective copywriting is straightforward, sincere, and emotionally compelling. Clear, memorable messages with a powerful emotional hook are ideal. Even when it comes to a product’s shortcomings, transparency can increase trust and improve the effectiveness of advertising.
d. The Snickers campaign, “You’re not yourself when you’re hungry,” exemplifies the key elements of an effective advertisement. It cleverly used humor to highlight how hunger can alter a person’s mood, showcasing the transformation after eating a Snickers bar. By tapping into consumer psychology, the ad resonated with audiences and effectively conveyed its message.
e. Consumer insights, straightforward messaging, and genuineness should be the main focuses of future campaigns. Writing should be relatable and human; corporate jargon should be avoided. Transparency can work to your advantage by transforming flaws into interesting narratives. Brands should produce memorable experiences that engage consumers and foster trust rather than merely running advertisements.
A)The role of creativity in chapter 2 is described as:
For Chapter 3:
b) The importance of understanding the target audience is you have to figure out their issue so that you can fix their problem. By doing this you solve their problem and it’s a win-win on your side and client’s side. It’s important to understand consumer behavior because you can understand what part of their life the consumers can use your client’s products.
c) Some effective copywriting can lead to trust with the consumers. Effective copywriters can use their skills to provide fact about the product which also reflects the brand as well. They can use phrases or unique words to invoke emotions in the customers.
d)An example of a successful advertising campaign that demonstrates the principles in this reading is Nike’s “Just Do It”. It’s very simple, invoke emotions in people in a positive way, and people can relate to it. Nike reaches out to its customers by motivating them.
e)Some of the things I gained from these chapters that I will apply to myself are learning more about the company and its value and applying that to my print ad. Relatibility and emotions whether humorous or sad. Strategic thinking so doing more research on the customers to solve their issues with the product and address it in my campaign ad. Using the 3 circle diagram provided such as what we have, what customers want, and what competition isn’t giving them and applying that to my key message. Not using generic phrases and text in the print ad and coming up with something that can get people to think.
A- Sullivan points out that creativity is essential in advertising because it allows brands to be heard among that noisy marketplace. He describes the creative process as washing a pig because it’s dirty and difficult to handle. He also says that great advertising is more than visually appealing images or catchy slogans, it must be strategic, relevant, and compelling to the viewer in order to grab his attention.
B- I guess by understanding and getting closer to your audience you will have a better view of what they actually need, and not just that, potentially you would know exactly how to create something that touches, connects and grabs their attention. Effective advertising starts with a deep understanding of the target audience and their behavior. Advertising should not just sell a product but create a meaningful connection and relation with the audience. Research methods, data analysis, and audience insights help advertisers develop campaigns that feel personal and relevant, increasing the chances of engagement and most importantly sell.
C- Effective copywriting relies on authenticity and a natural tone. Customers can detect right away the message if it’s trying to deceive them, so instead of writing ads, copywriters should talk and communicate as if they are speaking to a real person.
D- A great example is Nikeās āJust Do Itā campaign, which aligns with the principles of effective advertising. The campaign is simple but powerful, using minimalistic copy that connects deeply with consumers by inspiring motivation and action. It tells a compelling story by highlighting real athletes and everyday people pushing their limits, making it relatable and authentic. Most importantly is that they feature athletes that really connect to their message which give it more weight and trust from the customerās point of view.
E- Understanding that great ideas come from deep research and experimentation will help in crafting campaigns that are both innovative and effective. Besides that, copywriting serves as a reminder that strong messages donāt need to be over complicated, they just need to be clear and authentic. I know that we can’t rely just on the research to create successful work but research will help you make the right decision throughout the whole process based on real facts.
Reading Assignment 2: Chapters 2 & 3 ā Discussion Response
In Chapters 2 & 3, Sullivan talks about how creativity in advertising is unpredictable and all over the place. He says itās something akin to āwashing a pig,ā which I found quite interesting. But the overall gist of it is that creativity in an advertising context really isn’t about being clever just for the sake of being clever. Itās more about solving problems in a way that resonates with the consumer. Chapter 3 puts an emphasis on honesty. The idea is that great advertising tells the truth in a really creative way rather than being deceptive with consumers. Or at least that I got from it.
The chapters go over how advertising only works if it truly understands the audience. Sullivan stresses that knowing your target market goes way beyond demographics. Itās about understanding their values, behaviors, and what truly speaks to them. Effective advertising is supposed to feel natural. Itās supposed to speak the audience’s language and connect on an emotional level rather than sounding like a robotic sales pitch.
Simplicity, clarity, and honesty are essential principles in copywriting. Sullivan believes that good copy should be engaging but never misleading. Some of the best ads communicate a single, coherent and compelling message in a way that makes a viewer stop and consider it. It should be memorable and authentic. Sullivan encourages copywriters to be direct and conversational as opposed to confusing jargon and overcomplicated language.
One strong example is Volkswagonās āThink small” campaign. Instead of over-emphasizing features like most car ads did at that time, it embraced honesty by reframing the Beetleās small size as an advantageāwhich I thought was brilliant. This campaign stood out to me because it gave me the sense that it was straightforward, relatable, and respected the audience’s intelligence. I think the latter is so important.
What I got from these chapters overall is that effective advertising isnāt really about being flashyāitās about clarity, truth, and understanding your audience. Moving forward, I think Iāll try to focus more on the honesty and compelling story behind a brand. Thatās what seems to be most important. Iāll try to avoid falling for the ads (like superbowl ads lol) that force a clever idea but fail to connect with the consumer. Simplicity and authenticity feel like they should be my priorities after a closed read of the text.