Book Review: Truth, Lies & Advertising

Book: Truth, Lies & Advertising
Author: Jon Steel

What is an account planner? What kind of job is it? What does it take to be a good account planner? Jon Steel raises these questions in his book, and answers all of them. First, he says what not to do, then he gives advice on what you should do based on examples from his personal experience.

I like the fact that Steel admits that these are only suggestions in his book, not laws that you have to follow. That's because each situation is different, especially when dealing with people and brands.

The stories that he uses are extremely entertaining, and paint a perfect picture in your mind about what an account planner has to go through. These stories provided a good flow to the book, and made it quite easy and fun to read.

Each chapter in the book presents a different problem that an account planner must face pretty much in the order that it happens. It makes the book feel like a whole campaign, from beginning to end, even though there are lot's of stories in it from many different campaigns that the author worked on.

This book may have "Account Planning" in the sub-title, but it is definitely not just for people who want to be account planners. Creatives should read it too because it provides really good advice, and because it describes how hard it is to get a campaign off the ground.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in advertising because it is fun to read and provides valuable insight into agency life.

Now, you may be thinking, "This book was published in 1998. It's out of date!" It may be older, but it's still extremely useful. Things change in the business all the time. But, human interactions remain the same, whether it is face to face, like focus groups, or really weird methods of research.

Read this book. It will help you get a better perspective on account planning. But don't just read it for that, read it because it is a really good and fun book to read.

That's all for now!

Book Review: Hey Whipple, Squeeze This.

Book: Hey Whipple, Squeeze This.
Author: Luke Sullivan

I read this book a while ago, and I finally got around to reviewing it (I was very busy at school). I'm glad I finally decided to review it, because there is a new edition coming out in the year.

Let me just say this: Wow.

I had to buy this book because it was recommended reading for school. I bought last January, just as I was beginning to study advertising. It sat on my shelf for a few months because I just didn't really care to read advertising books at the time, unless a teacher assigned a reading.

When I finally did decide to read it, I couldn't put it down, which, looking back, is probably a bad thing because I probably should have taken notes, but whatever.

I hear that this is the best book that was written about about advertising of all time (my teachers have said that). As of right now, I have to agree (although there is another book that I'm chomping at the bit to review which is a close second). Sullivan describes everything, from what it's like to be an advertising creative, to how to sit down and write ads. Probably my favourite chapter is the one in which he describes some horror stories about clients. It was probably the funniest part of the whole book.

Sullivan uses excellent examples of great ads throughout his book to hammer his points home, and he has no shame in showing off the first ad he ever did. I've got to say, he's come a long way. He became one of the best copywriters in the business.

Whipple was a lot of fun to read. I especially love the short paragraphs and the sub-heads: those really break up the book and let it flow better. I can't stand books with really long chapters and no sub-heads; you never feel like you get anywhere when you are reading them. But, I digress.

If you want to learn a lot about advertising in one read, then read this book. It is a must for anyone who is either in the business, or someone who aspires to be. Even account people should read it. It's that important.

I'm looking forward to the new edition because there will be lots of great information all about new media and digital packed into it. That was the only thing that was lacking in this edition. But you can't blame the author, they weren't as big at the time.

This book is a lot of fun, and it sure makes the ad business sound like fun too.

That's all for now.

The Ad Bits Holiday Gift Guide

Well, it's that time of the year. The time to spend lot's of money giving out stuff that you're not sure people will even like. So, to avert a disaster, I've decided to put together a gift guide geared towards advertising people (professionals and students). I think I put a pretty good list together that should suit the needs of anyone looking for a really cool gift to give an advertising person. It's all after the break.