I will never understand why people want timid advertising. The whole point of advertising is to get noticed, get attention, and get momentum into your market. When you play it safe, you don’t get anywhere. Therefore, I have to take a moment and praise Barnes & Noble on this wonderfully snarky and aggressive ad for their new Nook.
I guarantee BN got letters about this ad, but who cares! They also got laughs, made a great point, and put the key value of the product front and center.
Most of all, they had the guts to pick a fight. I can’t count the times people tell me in meetings, “We don’t want to anger our competitors.” Why? If you don’t tell people what makes you different, then why would they pick you? Go after your competition with integrity and wit!
But then again, why praise BN for this ad at all, the sales will speak for themselves...
