You hear it all the time-”I just saw this great ad”, “Have you seen that funny ad?” and “oh, that ad is so annoying!”. So what is it that makes advertising effective? Is it humor? Does a funny twist make me want to use a product? I think the Bud Light spots are always funny, but I wouldn’t let you pour one on me if I were on fire. But, the product is well branded and I do remember it.

They give advertising professionals awards for coming up with these ads. 9 times out of 10, these awards are won based on the creativity of the ad or campaign. I would suggest that they only award advertising that sells products, grows businesses or changes consumer behavior. Better yet, why reward advertisers at all? If the ads work, the client makes money, the ad agency keeps the account, everyone should be happy, right? Save the awards for teachers, nurses, social workers, fire fighters and other people who make positive contributions to society.

So tell me about some good advertising that you’ve experienced lately. More importantly, did it work?