Wizard of Ads Monday Morning Memo

The Only Rule of Success

May 25, 2026

I promise that I will state plainly for you – in ten short words – the singular Rule of Success before you have finished reading this Monday Morning Memo.Stay quiet and stay close. We are wandering into a dangerous area. To see the glittering truth of the Rule of Success, we must quietly sneak up on it.The North Star never moves because it hovers directly above the axis of the earth. If you draw a line from the South Pole to the North Pole and then extend that line 323 light years into space,...

How to Write Effective Ads

May 18, 2026

Effective advertising is not about delivering information; it is about delivering persuasion.Don’t tell your audience how to feel.Make them feel.Great ad writers are secret poets.Poetry is not about making words rhyme. Poetry is about leading people to a realization.Poetic ad writers open your eyes and cause you to realize.They lead you to a conclusion, then let you discover it for yourself.Great writers don’t tell you. They show you.This poem will do that:What of the watchman on the wall?Wha...

How to Strengthen Your Brand in 3 Easy Steps

May 11, 2026

Find out what people already want, then offer them exactly that. Quit trying to convince customers that they should want what you are selling.Speak to everyone, everywhere, about widely felt needs, deeply held beliefs, and personal values. Quit telling yourself that you need to reach “the right people” with your advertising.A: The media doesn’t make the message work. The message makes the media work. I’ve never seen a business fail because they were were reaching the wrong people. But I’ve se...