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.
Now that I'm reading another book on how to break into the ad copy business, I appreciate this one all the more. The one I'm reading now is called The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency As a Freelance Writer in Six Months or Less, and it reads like a hyped-up get-rich-quick book for writers. Hey Whipple, Squeeze This was much more informative, and it was funny. The author illustrates his points about good advertising with concrete examples from print ads, radio scripts, etc., explaining precisely why they are so effective. Then he explains the creative techniques that go into creating a good ad. And he also has advice about the challenges of dealing with clients and co-workers (the funniest part), how to build a portfolio, and even how to negotiate salary. His conclusion about social interactions - "Here I am" versus "Ah, there you are" - is something I hope to carry beyond my professional life.
I received this book from one of my freelance bosses, and he said it would be better that I fully absorb the principles here than try to learn more from other books. But as the author himself recommends other books, I'll be looking into those, especially the ones on technique. This book may not be the be-all-and-end-all of ad writing books, but it sure is an excellent springboard. No wonder it's assigned to college students; it's instructive and entertaining, just the way a good ad should be.
I love this book! It was assigned as the textbook for my Writing for Broadcasting class, and even though we haven't touched the book in class (and I doubt we ever will), I can say every penny I spent on this book was worth it. Sullivan talks about all kinds of media, gives examples of great campaigns (I keep my phone handy while reading so I can look them up as I go, and I recommend you do the same--it makes all the difference to see exactly what he's talking about) and tosses in plenty of useful and interesting tidbits for anyone in or trying to get in the advertising business. If you're a creative in a related field, like me (in graphic design), reading this book will give you all sorts of resources and ideas to make your own work better.
I very much foresee this book having a place of honor on my professional bookshelf, and become very worn and ragged in the end. I couldn't recommend it any higher.
Yes, I know its an advertising book and you may not have any interest in reading it if you are not in this field, BUT I loved it! You might be surprised at what you learn about the most popular ad campaigns from the 20th century. Luke Sullivan is an exceptional advertiser and writer who writes the way he speaks. I'd recommend this book to anyone in advertising, marketing and business or just looking for a good read. Reads almost like a novel, except it's a How-to mixed with memoir and it's full of truth! There were some clever ads analyzed, but my favorite part of the book was in the beginning with the author reminiscing how much he was irritated by certain tv spots. I found this to be a really absorbing (no pun intended) book on avoiding the cliches of advertising copywriting. Great anecdotes, great writing style.
There are really two ways to look at this book. You can say it's outdated because the advertising landscape has drastically changed in the past 12 years. Or you can say that it doesn't matter because an art form's foundation never changes. I lean towards the latter. Here's a perfect example:
"I don't think people read body copy. I think we've entered a frenzied era of coffee-guzzling, fax sending channel surfers who honk the microsecond the light turns green and have the attention span of a flashcube."
I can't even begin to tell you how I loved this sentence because everyone's always ringing the fire bell about how no one has an attention span anymore. Apparently, they never did!
I know this is a classic, but it did get pretty repetitive (like a lot of this type of non-fiction). I hoped it would be helpful for work (I work in market research), but I'm not sure how much of it will be useful since I'm not the person actually writing the ad campaign.
Hey Whipple Squeeze This by Luke Sullivan and Edward Boches is simply put a lengthy detailed guide to creating great ads and being a great advertiser. They start by introducing the concept behind the title of the book: Mr. Whipple the starring character of a famous Charmin commercial, who squeezed the Charmin pack after telling a group of women not to squeeze it. So, the title is a bit of a stab at the commercial and character by essentially saying “read this” it’s going to make better ads than you made, which introduces the whole concept of their book, making good ads. Sullivan and Boches have two main arguments: advertising is hated by most but it can be overcome, simple ads can be more effective than detailed or fancy ones, and that each type of advertising differ in the way they need to be executed. With their first main argument that advertising is hated by most people but it can be overcome is valid because it’s true that most people do hate advertising. It’s usually an inconvenient thing that interferes with everyday life, whether it’s interrupting your playlist, cutting in at a good point in your favorite show, filling your favorite magazine, or the annoying popup on your favorite blog. Everyone hates advertising, but they have to deal with it. The issue for advertisers is to overcome this hatred and have people look at their ads and have the idea stick to potential consumers. To do this Sullivan and Boches state that it can be overcome quite simply through catchy slogans, or short taglines. One example of a catchy slogan given in the text was a KitKat ad (page 113) where the ad wasn’t even finished, showing only part of the slogan “Have a break have a KitKat” but leaving out “break” and “KitKat”, where the slogan will still be able to be identified because it’s so common. While the ad itself was creative because it showed the ad in the process of being put on a billboard, with a ladder and a bucket leaning against it, implying that the worker putting the ad up left to go get a KitKat. Where other ads can be effective because they have short memorable tag lines such as the ad for Chick-fil-A (page 116) where “ Eat Mor Chikin” is being painted by two cows standing on the billboard platform, or the ad for Kuhn & Kuhn divorce attorneys (pg 118) where the tagline was just “OOPS” with the o’s being spelled as an engagement ring and wedding band. They supported their arguments of catchy slogans, and short taglines being memorable by explaining that these ads being simple are easier to remember, and essentially simple ads break through the clutter of everyday life. They also argue that a simple ad could contain no to few words just a picture and the brand name somewhere on the ad or incorporated in. Two prime examples of this are the Jeep ad (page 107), where the car isn’t even shown but a boat and trailer coated in mud are, with the Jeep logo in the corner implying that a Jeep had the power to tow the boat through mud like that. The other ad being the Volkswagen ad (page 150) with an empty parking spot between a cop car and a row of motorcycles, to advertise for the new park assist feature. Throughout the book the authors support their argument by providing real life example of effective ads like the ones mentioned, and explaining how their simplicity made them effective. Their second argument is that for ads to be effective and successful. The type of ads being used need to be taken into account, because each needs to be executed differently, but digital ads are especially unique. Therefore, it is important to learn what kind of advertising works best for each type of media. For outdoor ads, most are in the form of billboards so the need to be short, yet eye-catching and memorable or the driver and passengers of cars are not going to find the ad worthwhile because it is too hard to understand when you drive by at fast speeds, this is why simple one-word ads work best as outdoor ads. On the other hand, magazine and newspaper ads can have more words explaining the ad because the viewer has more time and opportunity and will to read the ads. While digital ads are especially unique because as they explain “digital isn’t simply a technology, or a platform, or a medium. Digital is a way of life. People live digitally. It’s an entirely new behavior, a way in which people find, watch, share and even produce the content we now call advertising”, which is entirely true, people are more likely to share the video advertisements with friends and family, that even just advertisements online can become shockingly popular to view. For example, the authors mention two video advertisements released online by Red Bull and Dove. The companies simply made a video advertisement and shared it online not even in the form of a commercial over TV. Red Bull dropped a daredevil out of a weather balloon, where all he did was sky dive not even hold up a can of the energy drink when he landed, and their video has garnered 38 million views. Dove produced a mini-documentary on how women see themselves as beautiful or not, and didn’t talk about the products Dove offers at all, only included the logo and the voiceover of “you are more beautiful than you think” and they have over 65 million views. In both of these cases the authors prove that with digital advertising you don’t need to show, or talk up your product, just show what the brand stands for and release it to the public and see how they accept and share it with the world, because like they said “Digital is a way of life” Social Media advertisements are another unique advertising method. Since social media is where infinite connections happen, it’s important for companies to be a part of these connections. As Sullivan and Bosches explain, it’s important to “talk like a person not a corporation” and “involve users and let people cocreate”. Starbucks did this by inspiring their fans to doodle on their plain white cups and then turned them into art. They got 4,000 entries for the contest in just three weeks and earned coverage not just on the cups but the brand just because they involved their customers. They explain that it’s important to understand social media, understand urls, and hashtags learning how each individual platform works so it can appeal to the viewers and fit in with the concept of the site. They give the example of “snapchat and other new platforms, display only vertical video” so a horizontal video isn’t going to go over well on these platforms. They also support that these sites should do this because “vertical video generate nine times the views that horizontal video delivers”. They emphasizing that it’s important to know how the platform works so your ad fits without being cut off or awkward to watch. The authors supported the argument of social media ads being unique and having to know the way social media sites work by providing examples of ads that worked and the proper way to advertise on these sites. Therefore, by doing this, they effectively supported this argument. They support these two main arguments throughout the book by continually bringing up these ideas within each chapter and each chapter differs. By showing that these ideas stay constant, it shows that these two arguments are well supported across different categories. They provide good evidence by giving examples of effective ads and explain how following the main rules of advertising helped make the ad effective. They show pictures of some of the ads that they found most effective so there is visual representation of what they are talking about; giving even more support to show that the ads actually exist and are memorable and effective.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
In my Creative Problem Solving class, we were given a list of books that we had to pick one from. My first choice had been "Baked In," but the copies the professor had for us to borrow were all taken. So, I settled on my second choice.
"Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This" starts off with a dream that relates to commercial character that this book is named after. It's a fun and easy read. It's witty in the way it teaches things, but simple. Luke Sullivan does a great job in letting you know that every idea starts from nothing. You just need to start and work out all the "bad" ideas before you reach the one that can succeed. Your worst idea could be someone's best. Being creative comes with practice, and the more you do it, the better you can become.
I will be reading this book again because I know there's some valuable lesson I may have missed this first time reading. It is one of my favorite reads this year, and informative for the dream career I am working towards.
DNF - Super long (my copy was almost 700 pages and I got through maybe 200-300ish). Could have been shorter in some sections. But if you’re looking for a comprehensive look into copywriting for advertising, this is a great resource. Very thorough and funny, but it’s not a quick read at all.
A gripping book on creativity (read ad tactics). Relevant, even to digital marketers; remember, “Digital isn’t a medium. It’s a way of life”. Great advices for an advertiser. Must read for any marketer.
The copywriter's bible. The best how-to book on making ads ever written. By the guy who understands connecting a simple thought to a human truth in a headline better than anyone.
Paints a picture of an industry that doesn’t really seem to exist anymore. We’re like 10 steps away from Mad Men at this point, where he was like 3 steps away. And you can tell that with the modern age stuff, he just doesn’t have the same grasp on it like he does print ads or tv ads. But overall, it’s a good dive into the best ways to think creatively. It also has some great wisdom throughout that made me more confident in my abilities, and less anxious about when I have to put my feet up and think. And then maybe see a movie lol.
I read most of this during my downtime as an intern copywriter, disregarded it, and now am finally adding it to Goodreads. Not memorable for having perfect takes(capitalist marketing ethics womp womp) but because this book, how ad agencies discuss philosophy of art, is something i never would’ve thought of. I think about it often…
Anyways it was surprisingly funny, and Hunt Adkins Caribou ads reference gets it 5 stars.
Absolutely loved this book. I picked it up as a bit of “homework”, and I knew I’d get a few good nuggets. But I ended up learning more about storytelling, ideation, focus, and creativity than I ever expected. I’ll definitely be coming back to this one for inspiration. A new favourite on my professional book shelf.
Great frameworks, insights, and examples on how to approach advertising in this day and age. Comes from the agency POV so clients or brand managers can learn to empathize with their agency partners!
This book is genius. Luke Sullivan in 4oo pages perfectly outlines the best techniques and creative ambition needed to make it in the advertising industry. The overall quipiness of the book is infectious and I found myself transfixed while Sullivan explored agency secrets and tips. I found my favorite chapter to be the penultimate one where Sullivan goes over how to enter into the business full of tips on interviews, portfolio setup, and job hunting.
Throughout the book, there are print ads showcasing a point that Sullivan was talking about. I loved the added layers of depth this provided and I look forward to using it as a creative tool in the future.
Overall I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone going into the creative field that is the idea industry.
Call me crazy, but I've always sort of enjoyed ads. Yes, I recognize that the vast majority of them are ploys by companies to persuade me and other potential customers to buy something that we probably don't need, and that perhaps I've been brainwashed by the constant bombardment of commercials I've been subject to over my lifetime. But I still can't help but get a kick out of an inspired marketing campaign.
An angry Joe Pesci magically transforms into a mild-mannered party-goer with one bite of a candy bar, yielding the tagline "You're not you when you're hungry" under a prominently displayed Snickers bar; A group of chickens arguing over the merits of being a french fry in order to promote Burger King's Chicken Fries; and the various antics of the Lebron family always donning their cool, Nike apparel. These creative, attention-grabbing pitches -among others - have stuck with me over the years. And though I've never had a so-called Chicken Fry, I can't remember the last time I ate a Snickers, and I wear Asics on my feet, I have certainly talked about ads like these with friends and colleagues, spreading the word for the companies and their products in the process.
As ad-man Luke Sullivan shows in "Hey Whipple, Squeeze This," It's hard to say the exact effect that an ad campaign has on a given product's sales performance; this is, after all, largely a subjective business. Nonetheless, with all of his experience in the advertising industry, Sullivan has plenty of ideas on what makes a good ad - which he highlights with plenty of examples taken from companies like Volkswagen and the Economist - as well as those on some of his most-despised ads, exemplified primarily by the series of Charmin spots featuring their notorious spokesman, Mr. Whipple.
Interestingly enough, as Sullivan points out, the Whipple ads that he rails against were actually seen as a success, with Charmin product sales growth steadily growing following commercial spots. Taking that into account, it becomes clear early on that Sullivan's main purpose for writing this book is not just to lay down the rules for how ad-men and ad-women can make their clients oodles of money through their marketing - and just to be clear, it's not not about this exactly - but more of an appreciation of advertising as a sort of art-form. A large part of this book is devoted to work that Sullivan admires, work that transcends mere salesmanship, and the kind that a copywriter could be proud to show to their friends and family.
Along with his entertaining examinations of some of the best and worst examples of what the industry has to offer, Sullivan also goes into greater depth on the best strategies with which to approach different forms of media, gives readers some sense of the culture one might expect at an ad agency and the various characters that inhabit such places, and even offers some advice for those interested in breaking into the industry. To use a cliche that would probably make a seasoned ad-man like Sullivan roll his eyes, this is one of those books that "shows how the sausage is made," so to speak.
With that in mind, I would say that this text is a vital resource for anyone in the advertising business, anyone interested in the possibility of working in this field one day, or anyone - such as myself - who just plain admires a creative ad campaign. For those who don't count themselves among these classes of people, I would still not hesitate to recommend this book anyways. I think that nearly anyone can find value in the enthusiasm and - especially - humor to be found in Sullivan's writing. This book is seriously funny!