Three ways to find truth in advertising

Article by: STEVE WEHRENBERG
Updated: December 19, 2011 - 8:05 AM

By deconstructing truths, advertisers can discover myths, reveal insights and uphold ethical standards.

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Some don't believe it, but "truth" and "advertising" do belong in the same sentence -- in spite of situations like the recent ads pulled in Great Britain: Lancôme, for too much airbrushing of Julia Roberts; and, more recently, Marc Jacobs, for presenting minor Dakota Fanning too provocatively.

Public skepticism of the advertising industry is well documented: Surveys show that nearly one-third of people "don't trust the information in any kind of ads" (according to Mintel Attitudes Toward Traditional Media Advertising and Promotion, Sept. 2010). Gallup's 2008 Honesty and Ethics ranking found that 38 percent of folks would rate as "very low" the honesty and ethical standards of ad industry professionals.

But you can find truth in advertising. And more importantly, there should be more truth in advertising. Because, actually, in advertising, nothing works better than the truth.

For it is truth -- universal truth, human truth and not lying for a higher truth -- that actually shapes really great advertising. You know what I'm talking about. You've been affected by a truth-tapping ad yourself. It's what makes brilliant creative work so brilliant.

Before we talk about how that kind of truth lives in advertising, and how advertising captures truth, let's start with a basic definition. Webster defines truth as "fidelity, constancy; sincerity in action or character; fact." The definition appears rational.

But in the real world truth is much more complex, because people are complex and truth is personal. One person's truth is another's lie. People constantly frame and reframe truth. We marketers call this "positioning" -- the presentation of something based not on objective external factors but, rather, on selected factors chosen to shape a reality.

Language gives marketers power to construct positioning. Consider the difference between using the following terms to describe the exact same house: "executive home" or "McMansion." The descriptors shape a relative interpretation and even can deliver a value judgment.

All this relativity provides lots of fodder for creativity. So back to truth in advertising. Let's explore three manifestations:

Universal Truths = Myths. Myths live as those dreams, passions, values and beliefs that swirl around in our collective unconscious. They're part of storytelling and tapped by advertising. Archetypes represent true characters in myth: the Hero, the Magician, the Ruler, the Explorer, the Outlaw.

Brands often tap these myths to tell their stories. Think of Jeep: the Explorer. Harley-Davidson: the Outlaw. Or Disney: the Magician.

Human Truth = Insights. An "insight" for advertisers is a truth hiding in plain sight. Galileo put it well: "All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered. The point is to discover them."

Great advertising makes these discoveries; it finds these insights. And a lot of intuitive people in the business dig deep into our culture, attitudes and product benefits to uncover insights.

The famous "Got milk?" ads are based on the insight that people drink milk with things: cookies, brownies, peanut butter and jelly. Our recent Toro "Snow Globe" ad is based on the insight that "winter comes fast" and people enjoy conquering the chaos of a heavy snow. Very true for us in Minnesota. Ads that leverage insights are ads that are funny because they are true.

Not lying for a Higher Truth = Ethics. In spite of universal and human truths, the industry often seems slippery and weasel-like. Why? Because some in the business choose to lie for a perceived "higher truth," such as the bottom line, a quick sale, a flash of attention.

These breaches of trust are bad for all of us. (Consider Lancôme and Marc Jacobs.)

In our industry, we constantly face three big ethical issues: deceit vs. accuracy, profit vs. protection, and obfuscation vs. transparency. The marketplace today values credibility as much as creativity. A high ethical standard is a business imperative. We must lead the way.

Advertisers and marketers, we can hold our heads high when our work taps truth, shares truth and sticks to the truth. When we are truth-telling leaders, our work and our industry will prosper.

One hundred years ago, advertising legend H.K. McCann linked truth to everything that matters in our business with his agency slogan: Truth Well Told. Our own positioning statement at Campbell Mithun is a version of that: Everything Talks.

When Everything Talks, and everyone talks, the story simply is best when it's true.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Steve Wehrenberg is CEO of the Minneapolis-based advertising agency Campbell Mithun. He wrote this article after preparing for a speech at Augsburg College's Strommen Speaker Series in November.