Thanks for the sneak preview of the Monday Morning Memo. I was particularly drawn to your statement, “Most ads are not written to persuade…”

The human brain is really good at filtering.  We ignore anything we are used to seeing.  This is why the first time we drive to a new workplace, we pay attention to everything, but once we are used to the commute, we can pretty much think of anything else while driving.  It’s only when something surprising or unexpected happens that we focus on that stimulus.  “Blending in” is a recipe for being ignored.

 

Anyway, I thought the etymology of the word insipid in being “without taste or perceptible flavor” was fascinating, especially from the point of view of getting attention.  Being exclusive means that we have sharp edges to delineate what we are and who we represent.  But being inclusive means that we dull the edges so there is less contrast between us and everything else.

 

To your point and frustration, I can totally see how an ad concept may have started as something sharp and exciting and attention-grabbing like a wolf bearing its sharp teeth in the middle of a crowded mall. But thanks to the influence of all the well-meaning ‘peacekeepers,’ those teeth are removed one-by-one until nothing but a drooling canine with swollen gums remains, hoping that one day, some passerby will take pity and adopt it into its forever home.

 

Toothless ads are sad.

 

Cedric