Truth, Lies, and Advertising

The discipline of account planning exists, in Jon Steel's view, to produce advertising that genuinely connects with consumers. Instead of extrapolating demographic trends or building complex behavioral models, Steel favors consumer research grounded in simplicity, common sense and creativity, treating consumers as partners in making the work. He describes how planners collaborate with clients, consumers and agency creatives, criticizes research habits that push agencies away from the very people their ads are meant to persuade, and shows how sound research, turned into an inspiring brief, can spark strong creative ideas. Examples come from his own experience and from colleagues in the United States and abroad, including campaigns for Porsche, Polaroid, Isuzu and Norwegian Cruise Line.

Jessica Lauria, co-founder of By Karen and Jess, cited it for the idea that great advertising grows from simple human insight about consumers rather than from models or data. Bogdana Butnar, head of strategy at Poke, included it on her Ultimate Books to Read List for people in advertising.