The Hercules of Advertising: The Man Who Fathered USP!

For starters, he championed the concept of the USP.

A term perhaps every single marketer and copywriter knows well.

And he nailed it with his "Melts in your mouth, not in your hands" campaign for M&M's.

Let’s further break down his USP Strategy.

Promise

Each ad must shout out loud- "Buy this product, and you will get this specific Benefit."

The Ad Headline should convey a promise- something that

benefits the end user.

Unique & Strong Proposition

The Promise should be “Unique”- something that your competition cannot (or does not) offer.

More importantly, this promise/differentiation should hold a

BIG value to the consumer.

Earlier, I mentioned Reeves “M&Ms melt in your mouth, not in your hand.” campaign.

Why is this so powerful?

Since this became M&M’s USP, it became extremely difficult for the competition to counter this one.

After all, another candy maker cannot run an ad saying

"We also melt in your mouth, not in your hand.”

Repetition

Reeves understood the power of repetition in reinforcing the USP.

The Anacin headache medication campaign, featuring the tagline

"Fast, fast, fast relief," exemplified this technique.

By repeatedly emphasizing the speed of pain relief, Reeves

ingrained the USP in consumers' minds and created a lasting brand association.

Demonstrating Product Benefits

Reeves believed in showcasing the practical benefits of

a product to drive consumer engagement.

An iconic example is the campaign for Colgate toothpaste,

with its emphasis on preventing cavities.

Reeves used visuals and persuasive messaging to demonstrate how Colgate could contribute to oral health, compelling consumers to choose the brand.

Achievers Challenge the Status Quo

Rosser Reeves, by no means, was to follow the norms and

traditions of marketing and advertising.

Creative Disagreements

He had strong opinions that clashed with creative teams.

He often advocated for straightforward and fact-based messaging

over artistic approaches.

Political Advertising Influence

Reeves was not limited to toothpaste and candy bard.

He successfully applied his advertising expertise to political campaigns.

He played a big role in Dwight D. Eisenhower’s presidential campaign in 1952 with his memorable "Ike for President" campaign.

Strategic Copy Testing

As copywriters and marketers, testing should be a big part of our job.

Yet, many of us don’t follow it religiously.

Reeves believed in rigorous copy testing and employed the "foolproof" method.

He would ask his wife to evaluate potential ad copies to gauge their effectiveness on a general audience.

The "Hard Sell" Approach

Reeves favored direct, persuasive messaging in advertising. His aim was to generate immediate action and drive conversions.

No Slogans

Reeves did not believe in using catchy slogans, instead focusing on concise, benefit-driven messages that would resonate with consumers.

Rational Appeal

Reeves leaned towards logical and rational appeals in his content creation, prioritizing concrete information and practical benefits.

Jingles: No Way!

Reeves generally avoided jingles and catchy tunes in his campaigns.

Instead, he would go for straightforward and informative communication

Reeves was ahead of his time.

Back then, he challenged the norm and followed what he believed was right.

I highly recommend reading Reeves' book, "Reality in Advertising.”

This book has some cool insights into his content creation strategies.

Learn from Reeves. Challenge the Status Quo.

Find your own voice and style.

What’s your take on Reeves’ advertising principles and strategy?