Published by: Julia
The world of advertising is a fascinating one and you won´t find better guides to it than Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein. They have decades of experience which they share in a way any business person can benefit from.
Who are Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein?
Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein have decades of experience within the advertising world. They started their careers in the early 80s by working together, along with Andy Berlin.
In 1983, they founded Goodby Silverstein & Partners (GS&P). Within a year, the awards started to flood in. Since then, they have won multiple Cannes Lions International awards and done so in every single category.
Unlike other advertising professionals, these guys do not focus on a single sector. They have the ability to come up with campaigns that speak to every kind of person there is. This is why, over the years, they have worked with a long list of companies that have been involved in many different sectors.
Their clients include Polaroid, Budweiser, Nike, Hewlett-Packard, and SEGA. They have also been named as Adweek´s “Executives of the Decade” and won multiple ad agency awards.
This often amusing masterclass is a great way to learn about the art of advertising.
By the way, we recommend purchasing Masterclass for more than just one single course. The value comes when you take several. If you want to read our review of the whole platform, check out this Masterclass review article.
If you want to just find out what some of the best masterclasses are, this is the article for you.
How to make a small advertising budget go a very long way
Like many of the world´s biggest entrepreneurs, Jeff and Rich started with nothing. The first promotion they made was for the Mill Valley film festival. It was shot off the back of a pickup truck and starred their friends and family. At the time, if they had not done things that way nothing would have happened for them. They had to work like that for quite a while, yet, that is when they made some of their most innovative, funny and memorable ads.
In short, you should not be afraid to break out and do something new. Think outside of the box and be willing to try anything so that you can get the job done.
You have to be enthusiastic and when you are enthusiastic about an idea someone else will be too.
Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein – Teach Advertising and Creativity
Jeff and Rich´s advertising case studies
This masterclass is packed with case studies. I swear you get to watch their entire catalog of TV ads. They start off by explaining how they came up with the ridiculously short tag line Got Milk? and why it turned out to be a genius move. They also explain how they came up with the voice used in that very successful advert campaign.
Here is a quick list of their case studies:
- The Got Milk? campaign
- NBA – I love this game campaign
- Sega scream adverts
- Nike´s skateboarding advertising campaign
- Polaroid´s “See What Develops” adverts
- The famous Budweiser lizards (a true behind the scenes case study)
- Super Bowl adverts (an in-depth look at this unique advertising space)
Three effective ways to reach and engage your target audience
Don´t be afraid to take ideas from elsewhere and develop them. Some of their best adverts are based on famous scenes from movies.
Good ideas can potentially come from anywhere or anyone. Jeff and Rich have picked up some great ones from clients, cab drivers, kids, and many other sources.
In this section of the course, they take you through three very effective ways to engage with practically any audience.
Don´t talk down to the consumer… she´s your wife.
Masterclass.com Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein
How to work with brands
Advertising executives do far more than simply working with customers to promote their products. They also help them to manage and grow their brand. To change the way they are perceived and, to some extent, how their company evolves.
Brands are living breathing organisms. They are constantly changing. But, the brands that make a connection with people on an emotional level are the ones that are the most successful. Using several different examples Jeff and Rich demonstrate how this can be done through the medium of advertising.
Goodby´s rules for creative vandalism
This was an odd part of the course. At first, I did not get it. But, it is actually genius. Taking something that is already popular and mixing things up is super effective.
People are already familiar with it, so when you do something different you have their attention. All you need to do is to leave them with something that they will remember. That can be a strapline, an image or a short video clip.
Advertising is loud, in your face and still there the next day. It has to be memorable to be effective.
Goodby shares 5 important things every advertising executive needs to bear in mind and ensure happens.
How to tell a compelling story in 30 seconds
Telling a story in 30 seconds sounds impossible. But, it can be done. You just need to take the same approach Jeff and Rich do.
They explain how to structure your story. Their timeline technique makes this far easier. It enables you to map out how much time each shot and line delivery takes. There is a very good example of one in the workbook, which makes things much easier to follow.
Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein´s approach to the three disciplines of advertising
In my opinion, this part of the course could have done with being a lot longer than it was. There is not a lot of detail here. But, having said that, I am not sure it matters all that much. After all, you can go online and learn more about each aspect of the creative process.
The three disciplines they briefly cover are:
- Writing
- Design
- Creative direction
To get the most out of this section of the course I think you really should take the time to download the workbook and read through this chapter. The information you will find there is actually more in-depth than what is provided is in the videos.
How to use humor to sell
Humor sells, Jeff and Rich, explain why and how you can tap into this fact and use it to grow any business fast. They are always trying to make their work funnier.
There is something very Pythonesque about the way Jeff and Rich approach things. The Kevin Bacon Logitech Revue example they share hints at this. It shows you how to turn something on its head, to make things so crazy that people are forced to pause and think. If it is funny, they will chuckle, which means that they are engaging on an emotional level.
When you do that, they will remember your ad and probably smile quietly to themselves when they do. If you can get people to look at a product and feel good when they do, there is no doubt that sales will go up.
Effective ways to present yourself to a client
Being an advertising executive is not all about coming up with great ad ideas and executing them. You also have to be very good with people.
Often, you are going to be trying to sell an idea to your client that will seem crazy to them. This is a great part of this advertising masterclass. It is full of little tips you can use for all kinds of negotiations.
These two seasoned advertising executives share multiple ways to communicate effectively with people. For example, using a short clip off of YouTube and saying to the client this is what we are looking to achieve. Here is an overview of what you can expect from this part of their masterclass:
- Reality checking your idea before you pitch it
- Bringing your idea to life in a way the client can understand
- Reading the room before, during and after your pitch
How advertising can be a force for good and drive change
Doing good is an extremely effective way to connect with people. There are plenty of opportunities to do this.
This approach to advertising is beneficial for everyone involved. Jeff and Rich both believe in giving back, as do many of their clients. They share two great examples of how advertising can be used as a force for good.
They also talk about some of the different ways they have been able to give back. It is not all done through the medium of advertising, but this part of the course is still relevant.
How to start an advertising agency
Most of the people who take this course will already be working in the industry. But, it will also likely appeal to people who are studying marketing or are interested in promoting their own business.
Jeff and Rich clearly realized that people going through their masterclass would be interested in starting an agency. So, they finish up by sharing how and why they started theirs. This part of the course certainly does not tell you step by step how to set up one yourself.
What they are really doing here is giving everyone an insight into the type of company they run. Their ethics and ethos. It is nonetheless informative.
Who is this advertising masterclass for?
I personally think this advertising and marketing masterclass will prove helpful for all kinds of people. Business owners, marketing students and those who are already working in the industry can all benefit from taking this masterclass. It is also interesting for someone like me, who was just curious about what went on in the world of advertising. I liked it and think most other people will too.
Where to find out more about what masterclass.com has to offer
If you are interested in taking more of the courses that are on offer from masterclass.com, I suggest you read my full review. As you will see, when you do, the best way to get the most out of the platform is to buy the all-access pass. Basically, it enables you to take all of the 80 masterclasses for the price you would pay if you were to take just two of them. It offers excellent value.