tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249997465016074955.post1567133176949729917..comments2023-12-23T21:59:20.634-08:00Comments on The Ad Contrarian: Is It Art Or Science?BOB HOFFMANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05158827977385952634noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249997465016074955.post-16075055834880719352013-09-11T07:27:49.790-07:002013-09-11T07:27:49.790-07:00Thanks Byron. I loved your book and steal from it ...Thanks Byron. I loved your book and steal from it shamelessly<br />BH.bob hoffmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249997465016074955.post-70512773627049237522013-09-11T07:14:50.971-07:002013-09-11T07:14:50.971-07:00Science is the study of the real world. Advertisi...Science is the study of the real world. Advertising is in the real world.<br /><br /><br />Advertising practice is (should be) informed by this study, in the same way that architecture works within the laws of physics. Still creative, but working within the real world.<br /><br /><br />You are right there is lots of pseudoscience - dressing in white coats, using algebra and so on. This isn't science.ByronSharpnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249997465016074955.post-55121260794704048242013-09-10T20:13:54.844-07:002013-09-10T20:13:54.844-07:00i think philosophy would disagree that they don...i think philosophy would disagree that they don't have any better ideas about the nature of reality than they did 2,500 years ago - but they may take 200 years to craft their responseAnnanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249997465016074955.post-82823950170476355562013-09-09T16:52:19.019-07:002013-09-09T16:52:19.019-07:00Compelling article. I agree that the major factors...Compelling article. I agree that the major factors in advertising hasn't changed since 50 years ago; however, the medium has changed. This is very similar to the philosophy argument but advertising may of changed more significantly because the feedback loop is more established and isn't top down like it was in the 50s. <br /><br /><br />Thoughts?Nuanced Mediahttp://nuancedmedia.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249997465016074955.post-86096206112775162602013-09-09T10:38:01.899-07:002013-09-09T10:38:01.899-07:00I agree wholeheartedly, Neil! Colin Wheildon's...I agree wholeheartedly, Neil! Colin Wheildon's book, "Type and Layout" has been around since 1984, but I have yet to meet an art director who has heard of it, much less read it. And certainly none who use it for guidance. With apologies to Santayana, advertising seems to be a trade that doesn't just fail to learn the lessons of history, it refuses to study them at all. And for that reason (not because advertising isn't susceptible to scientific investigation), advertising probably will NEVER be a science.timorrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249997465016074955.post-30704578132457835222013-09-09T10:27:41.396-07:002013-09-09T10:27:41.396-07:00Nice analysis, Neil
BHNice analysis, Neil<br /><br /><br />BHbob hoffmanhttp://adcontrarian.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249997465016074955.post-79599917824102392182013-09-09T08:28:34.843-07:002013-09-09T08:28:34.843-07:00More importantly - don't disrespect bacon.More importantly - don't disrespect bacon.Casper Peskynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249997465016074955.post-48879154193721496732013-09-09T07:52:42.283-07:002013-09-09T07:52:42.283-07:00Hey! Don't mess with my man, Rothko.Hey! Don't mess with my man, Rothko.timnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249997465016074955.post-71353277880874924352013-09-09T07:32:35.754-07:002013-09-09T07:32:35.754-07:00If good advertising is an art, it's rapidly be...If good advertising is an art, it's rapidly becoming a lost one. Mainly because of science.Cecil B. DeMillenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249997465016074955.post-26779884380536100012013-09-09T06:47:50.174-07:002013-09-09T06:47:50.174-07:00I think you're broadly right. The list of what...I think you're broadly right. The list of what we know is much longer than five points, but it doesn't change the conclusion.<br /><br />I'm convinced that this is because advertising doesn't pay attention to cognitive science. The odd piece of research is borrowed, over-hyped and then discarded - usually via a Malcolm Gladwell book - but we don't systematically learn from proper scientific studies.<br /><br />Reading "You are not so smart" recently (http://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Are-Not-So-Smart/dp/1851689397) it was striking how many of the processes it describes are essentially 'branding', but with different labels. Yes, it's a pop psychology book, but it explains though relatively recent discoveries, how a lot of the memory, affinity and branding processes that we speculate about, really work.<br /><br /><br /><br />This research doesn't happen in advertising because nobody is incentivised to do the work. Agencies work brand-by-brand rather than on broad scientific discovery, while psychologists work to understand human behaviour as a whole. Although they may produce studies that are interesting to advertisers, we aren't the key audience.<br /><br /><br />Where advertising is downright lazy, is in knowing about the cutting edge of research on human behaviour and psychology. Beyond the odd Gladwell reference anyway.Neil Charlesnoreply@blogger.com