Ads In A Cold Climate
“It seems to be different this recession time around. Instead of cutting advertising budgets to the bone as they did last time, advertisers this year are maintaining their budget for the most part, but are calling for tough, slug-it-out, retail advertising.
“One of our biggest clients, one we have done some of our best work for and won more awards for than any other, suggested that we are not able to do the kind of advertising the times demand. ‘You can do great image stuff, but can you do price advertising?’ he asked. The reason? We had resisted a client-suggested headline: WAS 299 NOW 249.
“The hardest part to comprehend is that these tactics are not working. They have been trying to recover by offering rebates, cutting prices, only to find that sales have continued in their downward spiral. It never occurred to them to take a look at the product.
“And anyway, who says that tough, sales oriented price cutting advertising can’t be creative? And who says sales promotions can’t be exciting?”
Jay Chiat, October 1982.