What makes bad advertising so bad?

2 things.

1. They lack a story. Everybody is engaged by a story, because a story is something spoken to you, not at you. It involves you. Harvey Norman ads don't tell a story, in fact most hard sell retail ads don't tell a story, that's why we find them so annoying.

2. And the second major thing (among others) is the ads talk about the features not benefits, making it irrelevant to you. It’s the old saying "sell the sizzle, not the steak". The listener or viewer should be saying ‘what’s in it for me’. Sure the new Mazda has 4 doors and power steering, but what does that mean? How will that benefit my life?

That’s the difference we strive for at Outside Creative, we create TV and radio ads that tell a story and promote the benefits, not features. Keep a look out for the Cullitys Trade one commercial on TV as well as Treendale and Southern Shutters and you’ll see what we mean. (or just play the vids below)