Customer Reviews

Which Ad Pulled Best?

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

 

 

This is an outstanding book which simply and practically teaches the elements that make ads effective (and ineffective). You must purchase the answer key to go along with it in order to benefit from it (the answer key is under the same name and easily found with amazon.com's search engine). I have been in advertising for 20 years and this book is a must-have for anyone interested in creating effective print advertising. Also, anyone who teaches advertising would benefit greatly by using this book as a text because students love it.

Although this book would be really helpful IF it included the answer to it's title "Which Ad Pulled Best," it doesn't answer that question in any of it's 50 example ads. I feel scammed! It's not made clear that one needs an answer book. The author should know my first rule of advertising...always be straight-up and honest!

To all those who decried the lack of an answer guide: Agreed! However, you can get it by contacting the office of the author, Scott Purvis, at Gallup & Robinson at 609-730-1550, 609-730-1566 (fax), or sos@gallup-robinson.com. You must filling out a form that attests to the fact that it's for professional and not academic use (that is, that you're not trying to get a better grade in an advertising course that uses it for a textbook).

I've been in advertising for 16 years, and it's great to have definitive proof that the advice I give clients is based on fact--e.g., "Reverse printing reduces readership..." and "Humor can be effective, but can often fail." But there's as much value in the Introduction to this book as in its side-by-side ad comparisons. Interviews with seven ad biggies get right to the tough questions. Very fun reading (if you're into advertising). Be sure to order the Instructor's Guide with it.

I bought this book to test my answers against the correct answers, using the comparison as a learning experience. But the answers are nowhere to be found. Somewhere in the book it mentions a "Teacher's Guide" containing further in-depth analysis, with no mention whatsoever of how to get a hold of it. Without the answers, the book is a joke.

I ordered this book because I needed it for a class. It came very fast!! I was surprised! It came a little more torn up then the review said, but it's still the book I needed so I am still happy.

First beef: All the ads compared in the book were 1-page, 4-color ads. However, reproduced in the book they are sixth-page B/W.

Next beef: It's a workbook for classroom discussion. The book never reveals which ad pulled best.

Third beef: Not only does the book NOT reveal which ad pulled best, it doesn't reveal where/how/from whom to obtain an answer key.

Fourth beef: Amazon review system doesn't allow zero stars, so I had to give it one.

Shame on me for not researching carefully enough to discover that it's just a textbook with NO answers; you have to have the instructor's guide. All by itself, it's nothing less than a ripoff. As a marketing & advertising professional, I'm disappointed.

This may be an exceptional book but without the answer key it is useless. I can't believe you would not publish the key with the book!

Well this book could be helpful, it has a lot of research talk in it. The ads are black and white. It can be a bit confusing. I'd pass on it if you are a graphic designer, but if you are in market research and analysis it might work for you. I'd recommend it if you can buy it real [inexpensive]! Don't pay a lot for this book it's not worth it. But you may get some information from the "professional" comments. Over all it's a pass up. Don't buy it by the cover! It's not going to answer that question