001: No one cares. And that’s beautiful.

Great advertising is almost always rooted in the presumption that your audience doesn’t care about what you have to say. It’s why the best ads are funny, or sad, or interesting. The humor, the sadness, or the—whatever-it-is—serves as a vehicle for the message.

Creativity is the spoonful of sugar that helps the value statement go down.

Ultimately, your ad needs to sell. As advertisers, we get that. But if all it does is sell, no one will pay attention. And then no one will buy. That’s the great irony of advertising.

It’s tempting to clutter your advertising with various statements, features, and benefits. But the ol’ hard sell is akin to asking a girl to marry you on the first dinner date. It’s just creepy. You may think you’re making a legitimate attempt to close the deal. But in reality, you’re making a fool of yourself. And everyone at TGI Fridays is watching.

Want an ad that works hard? Then get out of your own way. Entertain people. Make them laugh. Make them think. Craft a good first impression, and they’ll come back for more. Even without a strong call to action.