It’s really too bad that Dr. Paul Springer, the author of Ads To Icons: How Advertising Succeeds in a Multimedia Age got saddled with, or settled for, a horrible looking book cover and a completely misleading title. Because you can really learn a lot from his book.
If you’re like me, you’ve watched all the new media/viral/buzz/web-based/experiential ad campaigns get lots of fawning press and attention without a lot of explanation or context.
But that’s where Ads To Icons comes in. Springer has taken about 50 or so non-traditional campaigns of the last few years, from ones you know like “Subservient Chicken” to all sorts of others (he’s British so there’s a lot of non-American work here) and outlines everything about them: their planning and execution timelines, project backgrounds, creative direction, marketing mixes, and ultimately, measurable results.
After the case studies, Springer lays out what is needed in the new media landscape, from new job descriptions to new planning techniques, and what can go wrong getting close to consumers using non-traditional means.
The whole book feels a little textbook-like, but that’s primarily because words and case studies don’t do non-traditional efforts justice. But Springer has done a terrific job of capturing the behind-the-campaign thinking of the work that has captivated the ad industry in the last few years. If you work in an ad agency that talks a big game about “new media” or viral this-and-that, or is led by senior management that is completely clueless about it, get a copy of this book. It’ll show people exactly what it takes to be successful doing work that’s non-traditional.
You can check out the book’s website at www.adstoicons.com.
Special thanks to Kogan Page who provided me with a copy for review.