"I like words too much."
Interview with Neil French, Creative Director of WPP
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However, in those days most ads were headline, picture copy and logo. Certainly, when Helmut Krone was the kingpin of the art directors and everything was in three columns, that became the way to do it. Just recently the whole genre has changed. I think Marcelo Cerpa's agency changed everything. He is a really clever guy. He realized that he was not going to win a huge amount of awards at Cannes with Brazilian ads because nobody else reads Brazilian except the Portuguese. His flight of genius was not to do any words at all. No headline, no nothing. Just a picture, and astounding picture and a logo on the bottom right. He invented that, and everyone all over the world just slavishly copied the style, without understanding the genius of the original reason!
T: And what about your way of doing ads?
NF: I like words too much. I'm just not a visual person. So I started by writing copy, trying to copy other copywriters. I copied Bill Bernbach for a while, unsuccessfully of course. I copied David Ogilvy for a while, unsuccessfully of course. Then at some period I found my own voice and then I was all right. I still prefer long copy. Let's say you have ten people and you show them a nice big picture ad with the logo in the bottom right hand corner and see what happens.Well, eight of them at least will look at it before flicking. Two of them might look at it a bit longer, but there is nothing else they CAN do but look at it. You can't do anything else. Now, if it's a long copy ad, and if it's good copy, eight of them will still just look and flick. But maybe one of them will read the first paragraph before he flicks. And only one out of ten is going to start, and enjoy it, and get through to the end. But him I've got. I own his soul for five minutes, or whatever. Now I'd rather have one person completely sold on my product, than ten who vaguely remember it. For me that is power.
T: Is it hard to get copy-ads approved these days by big clients?
NF: I have been really lucky because I have a reputation in Asia and the clients tend to call me personally and say "can you do us some ads, Neil?"
Page [1] [2] [3] [4]
Page [1] [2] [3] [4]
However, in those days most ads were headline, picture copy and logo. Certainly, when Helmut Krone was the kingpin of the art directors and everything was in three columns, that became the way to do it. Just recently the whole genre has changed. I think Marcelo Cerpa's agency changed everything. He is a really clever guy. He realized that he was not going to win a huge amount of awards at Cannes with Brazilian ads because nobody else reads Brazilian except the Portuguese. His flight of genius was not to do any words at all. No headline, no nothing. Just a picture, and astounding picture and a logo on the bottom right. He invented that, and everyone all over the world just slavishly copied the style, without understanding the genius of the original reason!
T: And what about your way of doing ads?
NF: I like words too much. I'm just not a visual person. So I started by writing copy, trying to copy other copywriters. I copied Bill Bernbach for a while, unsuccessfully of course. I copied David Ogilvy for a while, unsuccessfully of course. Then at some period I found my own voice and then I was all right. I still prefer long copy. Let's say you have ten people and you show them a nice big picture ad with the logo in the bottom right hand corner and see what happens.Well, eight of them at least will look at it before flicking. Two of them might look at it a bit longer, but there is nothing else they CAN do but look at it. You can't do anything else. Now, if it's a long copy ad, and if it's good copy, eight of them will still just look and flick. But maybe one of them will read the first paragraph before he flicks. And only one out of ten is going to start, and enjoy it, and get through to the end. But him I've got. I own his soul for five minutes, or whatever. Now I'd rather have one person completely sold on my product, than ten who vaguely remember it. For me that is power.
T: Is it hard to get copy-ads approved these days by big clients?
NF: I have been really lucky because I have a reputation in Asia and the clients tend to call me personally and say "can you do us some ads, Neil?"
Page [1] [2] [3] [4]
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The art of selling: today's most effective and original ads
BBDO Bangkok for Pepsi Light, 2001.Cannes Shortlist. Photographer: Anuchai Secharunputong
McCann Erickson Chile for Nike, 2005