I can always identify an ad that has been designed by committee. You probably can too. They are the ads that’s bore you.

Yawn…

A great ad disrupts. It makes you go Wow! or Whoa!

Since none of us are the same, the more likely an ad is going to make one person go “wow,” it is just as likely going to make another person go “whoa.” And it is the fear of the “whoa” that most ads make you yawn.

Ad speak is everywhere. It is difficult to escape. So with so many messages fighting for your attention, why would anyone allow a boring ad? The answer is fear. What breeds fear? Committee.

I have written countless ads that I was excited about. Ads that raised eyebrows while the words “wow” or “whoa” were uttered from the lips beneath them. Unfortunately very few of these ads ever got a chance to run. Even after I explained to the business owner why it will work, it is the spouse or well-intentioned friend that instills fear of the “whoa” response.

It’s just as important to know who your customers are NOT as it is to know who your customer are.

The first time I heard of the business GoDaddy was during a Super Bowl commercial that is still referenced as one of the sleaziest of Super Bowl history.  The founder, Bob Parsons did not care that his ad was rejected by half of the people that saw it. He was only interested in being remembered by the other half.  GoDaddy stuck with sex appeal ads as it grew to become the world’s largest domain registrar with over $1.6 billion in annual revenue.

What would GoDaddy be today if they ran a Yawn ad?