Advertising Business Marketing

Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: The Classic Guide to Creating Great Ads (Summary)

by Luke Sullivan

For 21 years, a grumpy grocer named Mr. Whipple shushed customers for squeezing the Charmin toilet paper. The campaign was annoying, cheesy, and universally loathed by creative professionals. Yet, it was one of the most successful ad campaigns in history, making Charmin the #1 brand. This book is about why you should never, ever create an ad like Mr. Whipple's, and how to find the simple, brilliant ideas that actually connect with people instead of just drilling a message into their heads.

Great Ads Are Simple.

The best advertising simplifies a product's benefit down to one single, compelling idea. It's not about listing features; it's about finding the one 'thing' that matters most to the audience and saying it with startling clarity.

The iconic Volkswagen "Think Small" campaign from the 1960s. Instead of trying to compete with American muscle cars on power or size, it embraced its weakness. The ad featured a tiny picture of the VW Beetle on a vast white page with two words: "Think Small." It was simple, honest, and completely changed the conversation.

Vomit First, Then Polish.

The creative process isn't about waiting for a perfect idea to strike. It's about generating a massive quantity of ideas—good, bad, and ugly—and then ruthlessly editing and refining them to find the diamond in the rough.

Sullivan describes filling entire notebooks with hundreds of headlines for a single ad. For a Timex watch campaign, this process could involve writing down everything from the classic "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking" to terrible puns like "It's time for a new watch." The goal is to get all possibilities out on paper without judgment before selecting the best one.

Strategy Is a Tuxedo for an Idea.

A great idea can easily die if it isn't presented well. You need to frame your creative work with a clear, compelling strategy that shows the client why your idea solves their business problem, not just why it's clever.

Instead of just showing a funny TV script, you'd start the presentation by saying, "Our research shows your target audience feels intimidated by new technology. So, we've created a campaign that makes your product feel simple and approachable, like a helpful friend." This frames the creative work as a strategic solution.

The Digital World Demands New Rules.

While the core principles of finding a simple, human idea remain, the digital landscape has changed the medium. Brands are no longer just broadcasters; they must be participants in a two-way conversation, creating content that people actually want to engage with and share.

The Old Spice "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign wasn't just a TV ad. It became a viral sensation because the team created hundreds of personalized video responses on YouTube to comments from fans and celebrities. It was an interactive conversation, not a one-way message.

Go deeper into these insights in the full book:
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