Customer Reviews

Under the Radar: Talking to Today's Cynical Consumer

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I originally bought the book based on the reviews here. The book is almost completely devoid of substance. I have read every single concept in much better books, except the one on self promotion, which basically says if you have nothing to offer, promote yourself and you might still succeed. It is interesting that the most positive reviews seem to be from people who know the authors. Don't make the same mistake I made looking only at the first few reviews. Be sure to read all of them, and don't bother with this book.

There is some original content in this book, but very little. I'd heard this touted as "the new Ogilvy" and could not wait to get it, to see how someone might adapt Ogilvy's groundbreaking ideas to our cyber present. Rather than adapt, they regurgitated Ogilvy's book and threw in a reference or two to timelier material here and there. What little original stuff is in there is good, and it's a nice companion to Ogilvy, but it could more easily be an article or a preface than a whole book. Read Ogilvy first--he's more thorough and a better writer.

To be fair, there are a couple of interesting tidbits of information in this book, but overall, there is very little to be learned.

The authors go on at length using their ad firm's (KB&P) previous successful campains as learning examples, or case studies, but there is nothing revealing or earth-shattering in their message.

Save your money, and instead, pick up books written by Al Ries & Jack Trout, Paco Underhill, Jay Conrad Levinson, or David Ogilvy.

While Ogilvy, Trout, and Ries are clear thinkers whose books explain strategy and development of successful advertising tactics, the point of Jon and Richard's book (if it has one) seems to be that if you complain loud enough about how stupid everyone in the ad business is, then suckers will ask you to create pointless ads for them. Unfortunately the book is such a shallow self promotion piece I walked away feeling like I just got hit with a 1 hour commercial for dust bunnies. Definitely avoid.

I'm really not sure how I felt about this book. They did a great job of detailing the process of composing effective ads. They also developed some really good examples of advertising that gets results. I guess what bothers me is how shameless the writers are. First of all, this book might as well be a brochure for their agency...since all they do is brag about how creative their ideas are. Second of all, it seems as if they are guiltless about the seductive powers of advertising. But like I said...this book swings both ways. People who are cynical about the business will hate this book. People who are shameless will treasure it. And then there's people like me who can't figure out which end is up. So I did the best thing I could think of...I gave the book away. Good luck.

Though Ogilvy on Advertising is a useful book, even today, it fails to deal with critical issues in the mid and late 1990s. Jon Bond and Richard Kirshenbaum have a good story to tell here, and lots to impart on how to not revert to institutional advertising. The agency has done excellent work outside the box for many clients, and reading how they accomplished that are good lessons to read indeed. I found it much more useful that many other ad books, like some mentioned above by Trout & Reis.

This is definitely the best book I've ever read about advertising and the advertising agency business.

No try to set rules that don't exist. No try to build up philosophies that don't work. But a clear and timely vision of how to stay ahead in the business.

If I would build up an agency today, this would be my ideal of how it should act and work.

To everyone working in advertsing: Buy 3 copies. One for yourself, one for your boss, one for your client. To every client of an agency: If only you would read it... To Jon and Richard: If you need a creative - send an e-mail.

Any book that provides a useful idea or two is worth the price. While Bond and Kirshenbaum use the vehicle as a bit of a PR piece for their own shop, they also share some practical ideas.

Howard Gossage told us that "Nobody reads ads. People read what interests them. Sometimes it's an ad." For years, advertisers have understood the value of making ads NOT look like ads. B&K give us some helpful tips on how to do just that, and thereby get "under the radar" of today's consumers.

They also suggest that the era of heavy-handed "fast, fast, FAST relief" is over. If, as B&K say, "Your strategy is showing," today's consumers will realize it, and throw up their battle shields.

Practical examples are given, especially of the kind that show you don't need to spend a fortune on advertising, if your concept gets you past the defenses.

Save your money. This piece of shameless self promotion contains little new information about consumers. Don't waste your time, unless you're interested in knowing how the authors created some mediocre ads. Subscribe to American Demographics instead.

Thanks to the authors for new insights in the crafting of today's advertising. Bond and Kirshenbaum tell how to reach today's consumer who is already over-dosed on ads.

I started my agency in 1993 with my head full of David Ogilvy principles (and they have worked well). But changes in the world of communication have dated some of Ogilvy's methods.

UNDER THE RADAR is the updated 'Ogilvy' manual for 1998. I hope that clients and marketing managers will read this book, so they can help their agencies be brave. I hope my competitors do not read this book, so I can get ahead! Great book!