This Ad Sticks (Literally)

THE OTHER DAY I received a brilliant example of a sticky Direct Mail advertisement that reminded me of the famous Rinso Stain Guide ad by David Ogilvy (see below).  As seen in the nearby image, the ad is a water heater safety sticker that homeowners affix to their water heaters. As you can see the sticker includes important safety information any homeowner would want handy, but it also includes information for repairs and an offer.

Figure 1. This DM ad is literally sticky.

The brilliance of this approach is that when the time comes for a repair or new water heater, the seller’s contact information is ready and in the right location.

This thing is literally and figuratively sticky!

Tactical techniques

• Ready and waiting: When the existing water heater fails, the call to action and the offer are ready.
• Color scheme: Yellow, red, and black color scheme denotes safety/emergency—and gets attention.
• Safety inspection checklist: Builds emotions (fear and desire). It also gets the homeowner to inspect their own water heater, putting the product (water heaters and repair) top of mind.
  

  Figure 2. This ad for Rinso was taped next to millions of washing machines in the 1950s.

• Appeal to experts: “A trained service technician should perform all maintenance and repairs.”
• Diagrams: Visually based information catches the eye; everyone loves a diagram.
• A big offer: $200 off your next tankless water heater is just waiting for the homeowner to take action.

Another sticky ad example

How to make your ads stick

Get more ideas on how to make ads that stick by reading Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.* This book opened my eyes to how ideas get buried in our heads, and why others do not.

An example: The myth that the only human built thing visible from space is the Great Wall of China. Sounds true, I can picture it in my head, so it sticks. But it’s not true.