“What draws people to be friends is that they see the same truth. They share it.”
That simple observation from historian and author C.S. Lewis is at the heart of all great advertising. Some might say Lewis would roll over in his grave to see his lofty thought compared to the mundane business of buying and selling, but I think not. Lewis was at his core a pursuer of things true, and truth is truth.
Advertising isn’t about convincing, conniving, misleading, shouting, or teasing (among other things) that its foes (and phony practitioners) claim. Advertising is about making connections. Truth is revealed in the poignancy of a story or the punchline of a joke, when those who see it share it. That’s how friendships are formed, whether person to person or person to brand.
We marketing professionals can get so lost in data and integration and angst over measuring ROI that we forget the timeless simplicity of our quest. Great advertising is, at its core, a pursuit of truth. If you don’t believe that, you should get out of the business. In fact, please do.