Product Description

In this second edition of the irreverent, celebrated Hey Whipple, Squeeze This, master copywriter Luke Sullivan looks at the history of advertising, from the good to the bad to the ugly. Updated to include two extended final chapters with in–depth prescriptions for building a career in advertising, this edition also features a real–world look at the day–to–day operations of today′s ad agencies. Among the most disparaged campaigns in advertising history, the Mr. Whipple ads for Charmin toilet paper were also wildly successful. Sullivan explores the Whipple phenomenon, examining why bad ads sometimes work, why great ads sometimes fail, and how advertisers can learn to balance creative work with the mandate to sell products.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #247151 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04-15
• Original language: German
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Review
" this book makes a great read…I feel like a better ad designer now ...!" (TamsPalm blog, September 2006)

Lee Clow, Chairman, TBWA Chait/Day, Chief Creative Officer, Worldwide
Luke Sullivan writes just about as relevant an advertising read as you can get. It's a perfect lesson in advertising for newcomers - and a familiar and laughably painful reminiscence for those of us entrenched in this noble and often crazy profession.

Dan G. Wieden, Wieden & Kennedy
"Luke Sullivan knows the business and writes about it with ... gentle wit and insight." (Dan G. Wieden, Wieden & Kennedy

Customer Reviews

Simultaneously entertaining and informative
First I must declare no professional interest - I write as a consumer of advertising rather than a producer and, as such, have long been intrigued by what goes into it.

I purchased this book to learn something of the inner workings of a mysterious trade. Not only does it serve to shed considerable light upon that, but the easy, readable style ensures that it also scores highly as bedtime-reading. Unless I'm just weird, of course.

There is no good justification for an advertisement or campaign to be mediocre; this book - by suggestion and example - demonstrates that advertising, when approached with style, wit and finesse, can be intelligent and entertaining - to the benefit of both Client and Consumer (not to mention the creators!). I recommend it highly.

The best book on the subject.
I can't believe the hacks who were somehow offended by this book. Mr. Sullivan has attained a level of skill at his craft that most of us only dream of. This book is informative, entertaining, and should be on the shelf of everyone in advertising - creatives, account guys, and (please God) CLIENTS. They could certainly learn something here.

As for the comment from "lone dissenter" about wasting our talents because we're not writing novels or plays-we are, buddy. But advertising pays the bills until you make it in that world. And as long as you're working in advertising, you're cheating your employer, your client and yourself if you don't strive to be the best you can. Bad advertising sells. Good advertising sells better. It's the guys in suits who jerk great campaigns off the air when results can't be measured in 6 months that make this business difficult. (Not to mention the guys who won't approve a smart campaign in the 1st place.)

Bottom line? If you're in advertising, or want to be, read this book. And save all this philosophy crap for a newsgroup.

A lone voice of dissent
After reading all the gushing reviews of this book let me be the first to lob a raspberry into the mix.

First, Sullivan's a snob. In his mind, there are cool ads and not cool ads. In the real world it does not matter. Whipple made a lot of money. So did Volkswagen's "Lemon." One was dopey and had a huge media buy. One was chic and very brainy. One beat people into submission. The other charmed them. They both worked. And a lot of people got rich. My point is: so what? The bottom line, finally, is the only thing that counts. Not taste. Not morals. Not the effects an ad might have on generations of people. Or the fact that it is not a little insane to give inanimate objects like laundry detergent or cars personality. Money is what makes people smile. And Whipple earned. Volkswagen too. So why fool yourself thinking there are standards to advertising? Or that your standards will sell? If it sells we eat. If it don't, we starve. Why be an elitist about it?

Second, this book is for ninnies like me who couldn't make more of their talents and are making advertising b'c it's a means to an ends. ( And don't worry folks, when and if I get out, I'm going to stay gone!) Frankly, if all advertising was as fun, snappy, and cool as Sullivan paints it, then it would be great to get up every morning. Alas, it isn't. It's Whipple. And I'm making it. And the people who buy this book will get to make a little Whipple too. And I can keep the lights on and pay my car mortgage and hope that I can get out of advertising and away from all these other people like me who have sacrificed lives, health and family for the sake of ...well...Whipple.

Look, Sullivan's gifted, smart and has a slew of awards to prove it. And after reading the book, I think I know a thing or two more than when I started. Amen. But let's not fool anyone: this is a book, not real world application. And its best use, I think, will be as PR for the ad world (and Fallon MacElliot) so it can keep another generation of talented! folk jumping into the hamburger grinder of advertising, dreaming up the next "Yo Quiero Taco Bell" ad. How pathetic is that? Giving a corporation a voice instead of your own? I disgust myself, frankly when I think about it. (And I know I disgust a few people who'll read this. Good.) Using your talents to sell tacos as opposed to trying to make the next "Death of a Salesman" or even a really good short story makes me sick.

And as for all the copies of this book which adpeople are going to bestow on each other, well, that's another little self-delusion--weasel words as we call it. Ad people aren't going to read this book. They aren't going to be humbled by its ads. They're not going to say, "Hey, let's be nice and original." Yeah, which adpeople are these? The ones with the drinking problems or without? They're not going to care a smidgen. This book will sit on a shelf on a creative director's shelf and rot. Occasionally he/she might look at it and sniff, "Oh yeah, good stuff in there, good stuff." And then it's back to work on Whipple. Or Volkswagen.