"Please Don't Squeeze the Charmin"

These were the words that millions of Americans heard over and over on their tv sets in the 1970's. Thanks to that one Charmin commericial back in the day, many people are able to easily associate this phrase with the infamous Mr. Whipple - the annoying man in the commercial who just wouldn't leave people alone in their living rooms, yet seemed to have a way with driving up sales (okay, I'll do a quick recap. Grocer sees teenage girls squeezing Charmin rolls in isle. Grocer tells them "please don't squeeze the Charmin. Girls stop and walk away. Grocer walks over and squeezes it himself). Yep, that's it. The end.

"And there is the crux of the problem. The mystery. How did Whipple's commercials sell so much toliot paper? Even if you figure that part out, the question then becomes, why?"

Luke Sullivan posed this question in the beginning of his book, "Hey Whipple Squeeze This." He starts out by emphasizing the importance of a solid idea - definitely not Whipple. Yes, Whipple drove up sales, but was it a truly great advertising idea? It is from there that he goes on to explain the frantic, pressured world of advertising - what to expect and how to get through it. That's definitely not all, though. Not only does he give people a glimpse into the advertising world, but he also explains how to write great copy - for print, radio, tv, billboard - everything. He even talks about thinking outside the box - for example, thinking in terms of if there was no print or tv. How would you advertise? Where do you start? Better yet.. how do you even come up with ideas in the first place? It's questions like these that really get you thinking.

I can easily say it's the best book I've read in a while. It's very insightful, yet interesting and always engaging. It's also my kind of writing I enjoy - informative yet entertaining. Never gets boring. While I still have a little bit more to read, I've been able to appreciate it a lot.

The jist: Advertising is a tough, tough world out there - and Luke really lets you know it. But if you work hard, stay focused, and KNOW it's a tough world - you just may have a chance.

For anyone looking to obtain some great insight into the advertising world, I highly recommend this book!