The keystone of advertising

By John Foust
Raleigh, NC

I once toured the Old Exchange in Charleston, South Carolina, which is one of the oldest buildings in the state. It was completed in 1771, and served as the economic and social hub of the 18th century port city. In fact, South Carolinians declared their colonial independence from the steps of the Exchange in 1776.

The most unusual section of the building is called the Provost Dungeon. During the Revolutionary War, the British converted it into a prison, and among its political prisoners were three signers of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. The dungeon is constructed entirely of brick. The masonry is particularly impressive, when you consider the fact that the bricks were set in place over two centuries ago. Columns create an elaborate ceiling of vaulted arches.

At one point on the tour, the guide stood under an arch and reached up to touch a brick. "The most important brick is the one in the middle," he said. "This is the center point of the arches which support the four columns in this section. If you took this brick out, the arches would collapse."

Later, I learned that the brick or stone at the top of an arch is called the "key," because it does, indeed, support the weight of the entire arch. This keystone example – or key brick, in this case – really stuck in my mind. I found it fascinating that one element holds everything together. The other bricks are important, of course, but it's the key brick which is indispensable.

When you consider this business of selling and creating advertising, what would you say is the keystone? What holds all the pieces of a campaign together? Is it an attention-grabbing graphic? A well-written headline? A compelling offer?

No, I don't think so. Although those elements are crucial, I believe the keystone of advertising is something more universal: Honesty.

Surveys show that many consumers don't trust advertising. And yet some advertisers mistakenly believe that honesty is limited to obeying consumer protection laws. They fail to realize that consumers are suspicious of puffed up claims. And like the fable of the boy who cried "wolf," potential buyers tend to discount everything those advertisers say – exaggeration or not.

I remember a furniture store that seemed to have a never-ending "going out of business" sale. Month after month, their ads screamed, "Last chance to save. We're closing our doors. Prices will never be lower."

On a business trip to that city – during a week which featured their full page ad in the local paper – I drove past the store. With all the fanfare, every potential furniture buyer in town had to know about the big event. The sign at the street echoed the frantic claims of their newspaper advertising. The windows were plastered with warnings that the store's closing was eminent. The lights were on. Sales people were standing at the glass front door.

Only one thing was missing: the keystone.

How did I know? The parking lot was empty.

(c) Copyright 2008 by John Foust. All rights reserved.
E-mail John Foust for information about his training videos for ad departments: jfoust@mindspring.com