Sometimes when I need a bit of marketing and advertising inspiration the easiest thing to do is tap into the philosophy and words of a master. Here are some quotes from Bill Bernback, the founder of Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) ad agency. 7 pages of his quotes can be downloaded at the DDB site. These are a few that caught my eye as I sit here in the middle of the night pondering promotional stickers, my advertising, and marketing truisms. Perhaps some will push you to take a creative look at your current advertising materials? Here’s Bill;
“If your advertising goes unnoticed, everything else is academic.”
“It’s not just what you say that stirs people. It’s the way that you say it.”
“Nobody counts the number of ads you run; they just remember the impression you make.”
“Be provocative. But be sure your provocativeness stems from your product. You are NOT right if in your ad you stand a man on his head JUST to get attention. You ARE right if you have him on his head to show how your product keeps things from falling out of his pockets.”
“Playing it safe can be the most dangerous thing in the world, because you’re presenting people with an idea they’ve seen before, and you won’t have impact.”
“The difference between the forget-table and the enduring is artistry.”
“There is practically nothing that is not capable of boring us.”
“To succeed an ad (or a person or product for that matter) must establish its own unique personality, or it will never be noticed.”
“Word of mouth is the best medium of all.”
“Find new symbols, even though in time those symbols will grow old and die. The most freshly sculptured phrase will eventually become a cliché.”
“An idea can turn to dust or magic depending on the talent that rubs against it.”
“You’ve got to believe in your product … you’ve got to believe in your work. Only a deep belief will generate the vitality and energy that give life to your work.”
“If you stand for something, you will always find some people for you and some against you. If you stand for nothing, you will find nobody against you, and nobody for you.”
There are definitely a few quotes and reminders here that can pertain to promotional sticker design and distribution. Your stickers should be provocative, unique and fresh for maximum attention and impact. To turn a sticker idea into magic get help from the right design talent. And if you believe in your product and work, get your promotional stickers out there so you can capitalize on word-of-mouth, “the best medium of all”.
Jeff Nicholson is the founder and Creative Director at 
