I got another volunteer! And not just any volunteer, either. This guest post is from none other than my main man Doug Brown from Copeland Communications. Doug and I bonded over zombies a couple years ago and he’s become one of my blog’s biggest supporters (and I’d like to think he’d do it even if my mom wasn’t paying him).
~*~
The 5 ads that tricked me into advertising.
(Guest post by Doug Brown, owner of Copeland, a Canadian advertising agency that loves zombies and skeletons.)
I’ve been reading Amy’s blog now for a couple of years and I always enjoy her retro digs. So in that spirit I would like to offer up the 5 ads that propelled me from a naïve, weakling Grade 4 student in 1970 to a naïve, weakling ad agency owner in 2012.
Anyone who’s within 10 years of my age either way will be hurled down a paisley, psychedelic time tunnel by looking at the following ads.
I came across them all in comic books and monster mags, like The Archies and Famous Monsters of Filmland, using every available penny I could trick from unsuspecting adults, and delivering trial products of soap and other crap door-to-door to neighbors in the middle of an Ontario winter, just to get the money together to buy these awe-inspiring, life-changing things!
I believed in these ads and ordered every product advertised in them, despite the disapproving looks of my parents. It was all snake oil of course and I ended up massively disappointed each time. The vial of soil from Dracula’s castle didn’t give me any special powers when I got sand kicked in my face while trying to hypnotize the school bully.
The Sea Monkeys never donned crowns and capes and smiled and waved for my old instamatic camera.
Sneaky promises, out and out lies.
But the magic of these ads stayed with me despite the disappointments. And I forged ahead to be that guy that wrote the ads that got the kids as excited as I was, only making sure I never advertised a product that didn’t live up to the hype of the ad. I still say no when I don’t buy the pitch.
Advertising is a great business for honest people.
~*~
I, too, was a victim of the siren call of the Sea Monkey. However, I still think that amulet of Dracula soil is pretty rad. It makes my inner goth do whatever it is that goths do instead of smile.
You can find Doug over at We make it all better, the official blog of Copeland Communications.
Anyone else out there want to do my job for me guest post here on FIOD? Dan and Doug stepped up to the plate and kicked one through the uprights (I don’t know anything about sports-ball). I will accept posts from people who’s name doesn’t begin with the letter “D” as well as females.
