Mike Pavlish

This Ad Critique Shows Why Being Too Clever Does NOT Work in Advertising

This critique is of the Ebay ad above.  It features the slogan “Fill your cart with color”.

Now, why would that slogan get me to visit Ebay?

It is very vague.

Are they selling crayons?

Or coloring books?

This is one of the worst ads I’ve ever seen.

I am a prospective customer of Ebay, but I’m very happy shopping online at their admitted main competitor Amazon now.  Ebay’s advertising slogan of “Fill your cart with color” gives me NO good reason to visit Ebay.

On the other hand, if their advertising told me why they are different and superior to Amazon, then I would be interested.

For example, Ebay’s ad could tell me I can buy thousands of slightly used products for up to 80% off new product prices.

Or Ebay’s ad could tell me I can buy cool, unique, handmade and collector items that not everyone else has.

But not “Fill your cart with color”.  That sounds like something a child came up with, or a 3-martini lunch!

[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”ImproveYourAds” suffix=””]The point of advertising is NOT to be clever – but to sell, and to sell, you have to differentiate and tell the prospect specifically the benefits of your product or service. [/inlinetweet]

C’mon Ebay.  You can spend your millions a lot more effectively than this!  Heck, my 16-year-old son could do better than this!

#advertising   #marketing   #copywriting