The Tribune

By Deidre Bastian

“A dull truth will not be looked at; an exciting lie will. That is what good, sincere people must understand. They must make their truth exciting and new, or their good works will be born dead.”

So said Bill Bernbach. Is he correct? Should he have added that advertisers are storytellers who will say anything to get a sale? In politics, you can sling mud and hurl half-truths at an opponent, and perhaps get away with it, but can this happen in the business or advertising world?

Jokes about advertisers often come dangerously close to those about lawyers, stating that they are all in the same rocky boat, bending the truth like the guys in Bond movies.

But do Bernbach’s comments relate to the advertising industry, or might the sector simply be misunderstood? And does advertising really have a reputation for being the most dishonest profession, and should therefore be taken with a grain of salt?

Many people believe that ‘truth in advertising’ is merely an oxymoron allowing agencies to produce “exciting truth” with “exciting, misleading ads”.

While some respected agents may be telling their consumers tales to make sales, others go so far as promising to melt away “20 pounds in a week, no exercise required!” Moreover, a tennis ad claimed that by simply putting on a pair of their shoes you would magically get buns of steel.

Advertising does bend the truth, but it is also fair to say it does a whole lot of good, even though it “exaggerates the benefit” or “stretches reality”. Great brands are built by business owners who know how to tell good stories.

Ken Burns, the famous documentary filmmaker, once said: “All story is manipulation. Truth is a by-product of our stories. And emotional truth is something you have to build.”

Advertising can actually make products look memorable and irresistible. Burgers always look bigger and juicier in ads than they do in real life; all women look rail-thin in magazines; and it is always clear skies in the travel brochures.

Have you heard about the Truth in Advertising Act introduced last month, which requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate photoshopped advertisements and regulate advertising guidelines? Now that’s a step in the right direction, and as marketers that is what we are really after.

Via advertising we exaggerate the benefit, and conveniently say nothing about the negative sides of a product. For example, what if anti-perspirant ads said: “This stuff makes your pits smell nice, but it leaves white marks on your t-shirts, and you will not be any more attractive to the opposite sex.” Would you like that? Of course not, but do people want honesty? They want an illusion of honesty, wrapped in a beautiful bow, knowing that their hard-earned money is buying a fabulous product or service.

But come on, no one ever sprays on deodorant and gets chased by women, nor do men become more attractive to women when they drink beer. Oh, and do women get a flawless complexion by putting a bit of foundation on?

If you cannot find one good, honest and sellable truth about your product or service, it may be time to have a serious talk with yourself, as you would be deceiving the potential consumer into believing something that just is not true.

The truth will emerge in the wash eventually when the consumer tries the said product or service, and discovers the deception. What happens then? Reputation is blemished, as they will tell someone.

As a final point: The truth is not the truth until people believe you, and they cannot believe you if they do not know what you are saying. They cannot know what you are saying if they do not listen to you, and they will not listen to you if you are not interesting, and you will not be interesting unless you say things imaginatively but honestly.

Remember, you might ‘advertise your product’, but in the end it is the consumer who convinces himself why he wants or needs it. So until we meet again, fill your life with good memories rather than regrets. Enjoy life and stay on top of your game.

• NB: Columnist welcomes feedback at deedee21bastian@gmail.com

ABOUT COLUMNIST: Ms Bastian is a professionally-trained graphic designer/marketing voordinator with qualifications of M.Sc., B.Sc., A.Sc. She has trained at institutions such as: Miami Lakes Technical Centre, Success Training College, College of the Bahamas, Nova Southeastern University, Learning Tree International, Langevine International and Synergy Bahamas.