Day 19 of my 28-Day Creative Challenge.

Check out all the “white space” this ad has. What a concept — and I mean that both literally and figuratively. It uses only 23 well-chosen words in both headline and body copy, a golfing photo that uses psychology to appeal to our hedonistic nature (that’s worth at least a thousand words, right?), and a powerful product shot. Toss in the two logos and a wee bit of descriptive copy that includes price, and we have a strong, clean ad. And that’s how it’s done folks!

This ad has certainly found a home in my creative morgue files as a reminder to continue to fight for “white space.” If you’d like to participate in my 28-Day Creative Challenge, please send me links to download or printed samples of creative work that you find inspiring. If it inspires me too, I’ll feature it here along with a link to your blog or website. Or you could just post a comment.

Day 12 of my 28-Day Creative Challenge.

Thank goodness I’m taking the time to sort through my creative morgue, keeping only the very best, because this direct mailer was filed so deep that I’d forgotten all about it.

This brown paper bag has a message on one side and the address label, return address and postal indicia printed and glued to the other side. It serves as a visual aid and complements a concept designed to tug at the heart strings and loosen the purse strings of it’s recipient. It’s a keeper!

She’s fresh —

fresh – exciting…

she’s so exciting to me!

She’s fresh —

fresh – exciting…

she’s so inviting to me.

These pop lyrics from the hit song Fresh helped Kool and the Gang top the music charts in the ’80s. Apply the Fresh concept to your advertising and marketing campaigns today and watch your sales soar.

Fresh and exciting advertising attracts new customers and helps to retain the old. When was the last time you took a good, hard, unbiased look at your company’s promotional materials? What worked four years ago may look old and out-dated today. The world is moving fast and your customers need to feel that they are doing business with a company that is on the cutting edge. Show them you are — keep your materials updated using the latest colors, design techniques and fonts or create a social media campaign.

Nothing new to promote? That’s no reason to be dull and boring which in today’s economy could be translated into a company in trouble. Use new photos, liven up the text and change the size of your company brochure. Keep in step with the times by keeping your company image current and something new will begin to happen. Employees will have renewed energy and enthusiasm for their work, sales people will have something Fresh to show their prospects and your business will grow and thrive.

A coworker once walked into my cubicle at Sterling Jewelers and informed me that she could do my job if she had the software. My reply was that I had been a designer long before they had even thought of the software (see my 1983 hand-drawn newspaper ad layouts above).

Today this “anyone can do it” attitude runs rampant among advertisers. I can’t stress it enough, design is more than pretty pictures and cool software. It’s a complex tool used to change consumer perception and behaviors and I’ve yet to find that keystroke command on my keyboard…