Official website of writer Aaron Johnston

Simple Wins

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Advertising is a tricky business. And I think some of us in the industry forget that the simplest ideas are often the best. Too often we get caught up in the idea of creating a unique execution, a pretty picture, a flashy headline, and we forget that we’re selling a product and talking to consumers.

A new print campaign for the Volkswagen DSG does just that. They keep it simple. DDB in Belgium was asked to tout one of the car’s unique features, its 7-speed electronic transmission. I’m not sure what that is exactly, but I don’t need to know because the agency clearly communicates what that means: shifting between gears is fluid. I go from fourth to fifth with nary a notice.

The agency could have shown an image of the vehicle racing down some deserted highway and written a charming headline about the gear-shift feature. But instead, they ignored convention and break through the clutter with a single, extraordinarily simple graphic. I think it works quite nicely.

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