Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Ads: Amazon.ca: Luke Sullivan: Books

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"Overall, if you want to get into doing banner ads, this book makes a great read…I feel like a better ad designer now that I’ve read it!" (TamsPalm blog, September 2006)

Book Description

In this second edition of the irreverent, celebrated Hey Whipple, Squeeze This, master copywriter Luke Sullivan looks at the history of advertising, from the good to the bad to the ugly. Updated to include two extended final chapters with in-depth prescriptions for building a career in advertising, this edition also features a real-world look at the day-to-day operations of today's ad agencies. Among the most disparaged campaigns in advertising history, the Mr. Whipple ads for Charmin toilet paper were also wildly successful. Sullivan explores the Whipple phenomenon, examining why bad ads sometimes work, why great ads sometimes fail, and how advertisers can learn to balance creative work with the mandate to sell products.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
I GREW UP POINTING A FINGER-GUN at Mr. Whipple. Read the first page

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Customer Reviews

84 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (84 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars "Good advertising builds sales. Great advertising builds factories.", July 27 2011

By

Jeffrey Swystun (Ottawa & New York) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Ads (Paperback)

There is a very real reason why Sullivan's book is in its third edition - direct and brutal honesty. It must have been a cathartic experience for him to write a book of valuable rants that challenges so much of what is wrong about advertising. It is really a clarion call for everyone to stop debating art versus science and just get on with it. It is also a plea to cease making it more complicated than it has to be or really is. His wry humor and love of the business comes out on every page.

Sullivan also displays great reverence for Bill Bernbach starting with Bernbach's observation that "a commercial needn't sacrifice wit, grace, or intelligence in order to increase sales." And this was an important aspect for me given my time in marketing and advertising. Too many have spoken and been hung up on the art of the profession pursuing vacuous awards instead of focusing on selling more of the client's product and services. He paraphrases this old chestnut which still applies, "Good advertising builds sales. Great advertising builds factories." Sullivan goes furthest in his praise of the founder of DDB with, "everything that's any good about this business seems to trace its heritage back to this man, William Bernbach."

The book is well laid out though it may seem a bit dated given the emphasis on television, print and radio. However, the lessons still have great application to social media, digital, and mobile. Really great bits in the book include: "How to do a Volkswagen ad", the bourbon project, pitch tips, the real value of award shows, types of clients and how to work with them, types of colleagues and how to work with them, the six phases of an advertising project, and advice for those entering the industry. The book is replete with valuable examples and cases, not to mention quotes like Mark Fenske's "You cannot logic your way to an audience's heart." and Sullivan's own, "First, say it straight. Then say it great".

In advertising, like many industries, we sometimes have to re-learn things that should be second nature to us. Sullivan has compiled a treasure trove of material and war stories that will assist anyone in improving their skills and the advertisements they produce. So it is fitting to have the author ironically quote Dr. Samuel Johnson who wrote in 1759, "The trade of advertising is now so near to perfection that it is not easy to propose any improvement."

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5.0 out of 5 stars The Book of Luke, July 13 2004

By

Deana Jirak (NYC, NY area) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Ads (Paperback)

So about two weeks ago I started an internship at one of the largest advertising companies in the world. I considered myself very lucky because I hadn't even had a class in advertising. On my first day, two of the other interns recommended this book to me. They individually attend two top advertising schools in the country and were both highly recommended this book by their professors, calling it the Bible of Advertising, The Book of Luke. I figured it might give me a better clue so I didn't look like a total idiot at my new position so I picked it up.

Amazing! I can't believe how right they were. It gave me such a better understanding of what I should be doing and in such a humorous way that it didn't feel like I was reading a textbook, it felt like I was having a casual conversation with a hilarious, experienced professional. Quick read.

I highly recommend this book, it gives you the facts straight out in a way that's not only educational but extremely entertaining. If you're looking for a book to get insight into this exciting world, get this one and then if you don't like it, check out one of the million books he recommends at the end of the book.

Buy it. Enjoy! :-)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put this book down, July 4 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Ads (Paperback)

I'm an advertising Art Director and I found this book to be very interesting. It's an easy read and very witty at times. Mr. Sullivan had me laughing out loud many times. Being in the business, I could relate to the chapter about "agency personalities" The slash weasel and all the rest! I was laughing to myself, "Exactly!, that's exactly how it is!". I've experienced all the types of people he describes in the ad agency business, and then some! Ad agency creatives are a breed all to themselves, that's for sure.

I must say, I really like the old-school way of creating ad's. Many T.V. commercials and print ads seem to lack that really good, deep, but simple strategy that made vintage advertising so great. I really think Mr. Sullivan should write another book, but this time focus on creating the ad. Some topics could be: How to write and interpret a creative brief. Developing and preparing comps for client reviews. More details about presenting, and getting over the fear of that. Detailed thought process in generating ideas, How to take a client's product information or message and write effective sales body copy. Photo Art Direction and the process in directing models or setting up product shoots. Layout design and creating the best layouts. There really needs to be more text books on the craft of creating ads the right way.

I felt by reading Mr. Sullivan's book, opened my eyes to certain things I could improve upon in my ad creating process. For example, when I would come up with what I thought was an excellent idea, I would stop and labor over the execution of it. I learned from this book to keep generating ideas and not to stop until every avenue has been explored. This has helped me to come up with even better ideas.

For anyone in the agency creative business or thinking about going into it, this is a must read.

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5.0 out of 5 stars FLAVORIFFIC!
If you decide to taste this book after you read it, consider it Flavoriffic!

Hey Whipple, Squeeze-A Guide to Creating Great Ads is well-written, concise, and... Read more

Published on April 14 2004 by 1grimaldi