NEW BOOK OUT: RIDICULOUS ADVERTISING RULES

The Medium is the Message and 50 other Ridiculous Advertising Rules

Every single day we’re bombarded with a regular onslaught of advertising. The paper you read, the magazine you buy, the radio show you listen to: they all feature ads. There’s product placement on TV and on the silver screen. And the moment you go online you’re exposed to anything from pop-up ads to spam. And let’s not forget about the public transport that is covered in slogans, and the enormous billboards and flashy neon signs that are all there in the public domain, vying for your attention. No opportunity is wasted by the ad men to grab the attention of potential customers and entice, seduce or convince them to buy a certain product, service or idea.

Not surprising then that advertising has been called the greatest art form of the 20th century, as well as the biggest evil man has ever produced. Whether or not you believe in a thing called ARTvertising or of the opinion that advertising, along with branding and marketing, is downright diabolical, you’re bound to find this book a source of inspiration.

We’ve collected and researched a total of 51 rules, including “The Medium is the Message,” “Make the Logo Bigger” and that old favorite “Sex Sells.” All the great ad men and women make an appearance, sharing their thoughts and insights. The aim in making this book was not to list all the rules that a budding copywriter or marketer needs to adhere to. Nor did we want to decide which rules are indeed ridiculous and which are valuable words of wisdom. Instead consider this book a source of comfort, joy or good old fun. After all, it’s like American advertising executive Jerry Della Femina (1936) once said: “Advertising is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.”

Also available in the Ridiculous Design Rules series:
Never Use White Type on a Black Background and 50 other Ridiculous Design Rules
Never Leave the House Naked and 50 other Ridiculous Fashion Rules

Click here for a live preview

NEW BOOK OUT: RIDICULOUS FASHION RULES

Never Leave the House Naked and 50 other Ridiculous Fashion Rules.

The international fashion police is a force to be reckoned with. Armed with a seemingly endless list of rules, it dictates all the do’s and don’ts and acts as judge and jury in dealing with those guilty of committing a fashion faux-pas. But while some of the rules that are enforced by the fashion-conscious are nothing short of ridiculous, others serve more as words of wisdom that can prevent people from committing a crime against fashion.

This book contains fifty-one rules like “Dress Your Age", "When in Doubt Wear Red", "Shoes and Bags Must Always Match” and “Never Wear Tights with Open-toed Shoes”, which can be twisted, broken or ignored altogether. Our aim is not to list all the rules that you need to adhere to. Nor do we take sides in the whole rules debate. After all, creativity knows no bounds and therefore it seems rather ridiculous to restrict that creativity by sticking to a couple of age-old rules. However, in some cases the rules seem more like the basic principles of dress that should be loved, honored and obeyed.

Rest assured that whichever side of the fence you sit on in this whole fashion rules debate, you’re bound to find this book a source of inspiration, comfort or joy.

Also available in the Ridiculous Design Rules series:
Never Use White Type on a Black Background and 50 other Ridiculous Design Rules
The Medium is the Message and 50 other Ridiculous Advertising Rules

Click here for a live preview

STREETLAB BUSINESS CASE: 'THE RULES'

Streetlab Businesscase: F*ck the rules! Host Farid Benmbarek talks to author Anneloes van Gaalen about the fifty ridiculous design and fashion rules she discussed in her past books. How ridiculous are those rules? Should you stick to the rules? Business case with interesting examples, which include Gookie (Gummo en Fryling), Jeroen Disch (Lava grafisch ontwerpers) and Ellen Bokkinga (Identity Strategy).