Truth, Lies and Advertising

Book summary

Jon Steel is currently planning director at WPP Group and chief strategy officer at George Patterson Y&R. He’s spent decades at the top of the advertising industry on three continents – America, Australia and Europe – working with iconic brands like Sony, Budweiser, Hewlett-Packard, Nike and Porsche.

The author demonstrated the account planning process by creating the iconic “got milk?” campaign for the California Fluid Milk Processors Advisory Board (CFMPAB), which sought to reverse declining milk consumption. Research revealed milk was perceived as boring, childish, or fatty, though often consumed with other foods. A focus group abstained from milk for a week, and their nostalgic cravings for milk with cookies or sandwiches inspired the campaign’s strategy: to remind consumers to buy milk to avoid deprivation and to pair it with desirable foods. The creative team developed the slogan “got milk?” and launched the campaign on TV, billboards near supermarkets, and magazines, featuring relatable imagery like a half-eaten cookie. The campaign’s success in California in 1993, and its national expansion in 1995, highlighted the importance of attentive listening and asking the right questions to uncover consumer behavior. Effective focus groups, conducted in comfortable settings, provided authentic insights, as seen in other campaigns like Sega’s “Welcome to the next level” and Foster Farms’ chicken puppets. The account planner’s role—bridging consumer insights and creative execution—requires thorough research, clear communication, and collaboration, ensuring campaigns resonate with audiences and meet client objectives.

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