I hate creativity

The marketing world has an unhealthy fixation with creativity. Billions of dollars and countless hours are spent to develop and disseminate witty words and fancy graphics. They labor and they spend as if it actually worked; as if their creative genius somehow subverts our will and compels us to buy.

Look at the "Priceless" campaign. Brilliant and heartwarming. That one credit card company (uh, which one was it?) must be making a killing.

Or the ad for the new Honda Civic. Beautiful CGI graphics topped off with tagline: "It will reverse your thinking." Wow! That must be a NICE car! Or, at least about as good as the other Civics I've seen.

And that's the point. No matter how fancy and witty you are, we're just going to discount your puffery to match our actual experience of your product.