IN ADVERTISING, THE TRUTH HURTS

An advertisement that reveals a truth is what makes a great ad. It may make you uncomfortable, and it may get under your skin, and it will certainly make you think. You kinda, sorta may have thought about the conceit that you’re about to see or hear, but now someone is putting it right in front of you in an interesting way that is bound to cause a reaction. And when the truth of what you’re seeing is laid bare, it may ultimately fuss with your stability. The truth hurts

THE DEEPER THE TRUTH, THE DEEPER THE REACTION

When Rudy Giuliani was the mayor of New York and proclaiming his role in virtually every aspect of the city’s success, we ran a cheeky ad on the sides of buses for New York Magazine. It simply read, “New York Magazine. Possibly the only good thing in New York Rudy hasn’t taken credit for.”

At the root of this ad was the underlying belief that he was, in fact, taking credit for everything good happening in New York at the time. To most who saw the ad, it was a ‘Yeah, I can totally believe that!” But to one person in particular, hizzoner, it elicited an angry response in the form of belligerent press conferences and even lawsuits. It was obviously a truth that ran pretty deep into the mayor’s thin skin.

In one ad we did for Linens ‘n Things we took a pot shot at one of the most unwelcomed of all edible gifts, the fruitcake. A harmless ad to all, except the attorneys for Linens ‘n Things who sent us a cease-and-desist letter for the unforgivable character assassination we perpetrated to the fruitcake industry.

FROM THE BACK OF THE BRAIN TO THE FRONT

And when an ad succeeds in revealing a truth, it becomes memorable. It elicits a reaction. You’ve moved something from the back end of the brain to the front with just a few words or even just an image. It’s a figurative headslap that creates that “Yeah, I can totally believe that” moment.

Revealing a truth is one of the most effective tools in advertising, and one of the handful of classic tenets of great creative. It’s a powerful tactic in all kinds of advertising:

Politicians use it to great success. You may harbor thoughts that one politician is a bit sleazy, so when his opponent runs an ad implying such, those thoughts zoom to the front of the brain.

WHEN THE TARGET TAKES THE BAIT

Sometimes an ad isn’t an absolute truth, but close enough to rankle the intended party. For the family-owned Legal Sea Foods, we stirred the waters in Boston with a “Fresh Fish” campaign seen on the city’s transit system that poked fun at cab drivers and train conductors with wise-ass cartoon fish spouting insults to those running the vehicles.

The cabbies and carmen took immediate offense to the ads, and a First Amendment fight played out in the national media. Subsequent ads played off the controversy and poked fun at the transit union and their thin skin. No need for promotions or clichéd seafood settings to sell the restaurant. Just a focus on a quality product coupled with audacious copy – and a heaping side of positive publicity.

THE TRUTH ABOUT REVEALING A TRUTH

The truth of the matter is that it pays to reveal a truth in advertising. The benefits are obvious:

🔥 When you reveal a truth, you spark a reaction that leads to greater awareness

😲 When someone is offended by the truth revealed in an ad, their outrage often serves to increase the talk value of your message

🎯 It’s the best way to position your client, it doesn’t borrow from borrowed interest

🌟 Keep in mind that many, many more reactions to a truth revealed will be overwhelmingly positive

It does pay to tell the truth – in advertising. And even the lamest of ads will have its detractors, so it’s best to attempt to reveal a truth about your client and its brand. Just keep in mind when people can’t handle the truth – it means your message hit the mark.