This is the second installment in a series that began with Dick Orkin repeatedly hearing this refrain from radio station salespeople:
“I don’t like writing commercials!”
Dick discussed the issue a bit and then concluded, “The commercials they write are boring as all hell to themselves and others.”
My interpretation (and who you gonna believe — Dick Orkin or me?) differs a little.
Of course they don’t like writing commercials. Who wants to write commercials or advertisements?
Raise your hand if you wake up in the morning thinking, “Gee, I sure hope I get the chance to try to convince somebody to buy something today!”
Okay, now raise your hand if you’d feel pretty good if you could help someone today.
That is what advertising is supposed to do: help people solve their problems.
I’m not talking only about the problem of the merchant, which is to get people to buy his stuff. I’m talking about the ultimate beneficiary of a great product or service: the consumer.
“I don’t like writing commercials for unworthy advertisers.”
Neither do I, and I won’t.
But I’ll gladly sink my teeth into a commercial that will unite a hungry office worker with a pleasurable, satisfying lunch.
Or one that points the victim of a leaking roof to the best guy in town to repair that leak.
Or one that offers consumers a sure-fire way to prevent their computers from ever again crashing. (If you’ve got a product like that, let me know. Your money’s burning a hole in my pocket.)
