Anatomy of a direct response print ad
Or, going "Full Ogilvy"
I recently interviewed Richard King: Pact's former head of growth, and my second boss. As part of our discussions, I was reminded of a print ad that ended up becoming an instant LTV generator for us. Here is the story behind that ad and the anatomy of how it came to be.
Almost ten years ago, I used to run offline acquisition at Pact. At the time, a lot of our growth came from inserts, but we also tested across other print channels too. Given our search for pure direct response, a lot of print ended up failing in efficiency terms. But we had one series of ads that worked very well.
Until that point, we had spent a lot of time analysing insert design. And while compared to digital, the learning cycles in print are painfully slow, we approached analysis with the same lens we would digital. It's where I first got stuck into SQL, so I could measure individual inserts based on payback and LTV.
There were a handful of themes we'd already explored in insert design which we knew to work. Hipster lifestyle photography with snappy headline on one side, with product and offer info on the back. But when my boss Richard King – who I had the pleasure of interviewing a few months ago – landed a CPA deal with one of the major newspapers, we knew there would be a huge number of unknowns.
Richard and I had just been in the midst of a read and re-read of Ogilvy of Advertising. And with the new DR CPA print ads on the horizon, we decided to go 'Full Ogilvy' on the design.
These are the rules we followed.
1. Clarity in product photography + headline
"Join our flexible coffee subscription" is probably one of the most boring headlines I could have written. But as we scanned through print copies of the newspapers and looked at ads, we were frustrated at how much ambiguity there was in most copy.
If you're Givenchy or Diageo, you can get away with abstract and clever headline writing. Strong brand awareness means you've already built the shortcuts for your design in consumers' eyes. But when you're an unknown brand, you have everything stacked against you.
Clarity was important for us. The hierarchy of things we wanted people to know was: we sold coffee, we were a subscription, and we were flexible.
2. Go into the factory for your messaging idea
Ogilvy (and others) speak at length about the old practice of factory tours. It’s embedded in this idea of deep research within the product. My favourite classic example of this is is in the infamous Rolls Royce ad.
During my early days learning about coffee at Pact, I learnt that supermarket coffee is on average months old. And yet coffee tastes better within a week or so from roasting.
That became “We lovingly hand-roast our beans... and post them to you within seven days... the difference in flavour is incredible” and then later "[we] roast the beans within seven days of sending it to you - which means you get to drink the coffee at its very best, not months later."
3. Repeat all of the core information inside the coupon
Our coupons weren't really coupons at all – in that you didn't need to tear them out and take them to a store. But we followed the Ogilvy principle that all information needed should be contained in the coupon.
What did that mean? Repeat the offer, how to claim, and the core messaging strategy: fresher coffee tastes better.
One non-Ogilvy coupon thing we added was an SMS number. This is something to this day I'm surprised more businesses don't do. What was the logic? If you're underground and reading the paper, then you can text a number and when above ground get that offer SMSed straight back.
Closing thoughts
We iterated and tested on this a lot, but the above core principles stayed the same throughout. And while focused on print, there's lessons to learn from these across the marketing spectrum. Never shy away from a clear product photograph, no matter how 'boring' it might be.
Likewise, the need to repeat yourself, as with point 3, is even more important on the web. Every landing page should repeat your offer + core message clearly. People don't read everything, they scan.
The important of finding an Idea is ever more prescient. Our messaging was focused on one of our unique selling points – we roast and ship in seven days, which at the time was rare.
How this was an unintended 'brand ad'
And finally, one of the unintended benefits of our messaging strategy was it spoke very clearly to the values of a certain type of consumer. [Whoever it was's 2002 essay said that] 'Hipsterism was defined as a pursuit and preference for the authentic.' The 90s were peak homogeneity, and peak consolidation within big Consumer.
Hipsterism paved the way for the artisan. What was a niche interest in the 2000s, had started to cross the chasm by the early 2010s. People wanted products that reflected their place of origin, their individuality, and their maker. "Fresh coffee in seven days" spoke to this.
We didn't set out to make a brand ad. But by communicating directly to a certain set of an individuals' values and cultural touchpoints, it likely landed stronger for it.
Carveouts
I’ve just been to New York and as ever found the city deeply inspiring. A handful of things that were excellent.
Pop Up Grocer in the West Village. Lots of predominantly DTC brands given a corner store location. Awesome idea and would love to see that plays out in London.
Edward Ruscha exhibit at MoMa. The two times I’ve come back from New York I’ve found a new favourite artists. The first time it was Edward Hopper, this time Ed Ruscha.
Glossy by Marisa Meltzer. Metlzer’s part-memoir/part-business story of Glossier is a highly readable story of the Glossier journey. The middle section where Glossier’s Weiss starts rebranding the company as a tech company rather than a beauty company, on reflection feels like a neat synopsis of mid-2010s DTC. Enjoyable read, if a touch lightweight in sections.