Welcome back to the Digital Advertising Review. This week, I’m breaking down a classic style ad from Tip Top Cocktails. Tip Top makes fully prepared cocktails in cans and ships directly to consumers. Their entire brand is reminiscent of everything classic, and this ad takes that to the next level. First, I’ll break down why this works, then I’ll present some ideas to make it better.

Letting your clients know a few months in advance that you’re going to pitch them a rate increase is a respectful, strategic move. If you ask for a rate increase with no warning, your client may need to let you go because they don’t have any budget left. Then you’ll have to walk when no one involved really wants that.

Think about it: If your creation is only interesting to one in a million people, that’s still 7,500 people worldwide. If you sell something for $20 to all these people, that’s $150,000 in revenue.

I took a Masterclass from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, which is an award-winning advertising agency in San Francisco. They created a framework for mapping out ads that makes it easy to understand what the viewer will be seeing and hearing for each second of the ad.

Client communication is extremely important as a freelancer and as a client-facing creative. Not only is it important to do, it’s also important how you do it. Should you over-communicate? Downplay things? Be humble or cocky or smart or kind? Here’s my take.

You call your dreams “dreams” and allow them to stay that way: audacious ideas that are fun to imagine, but unlikely to come true. A perfect example of this is moving to the city. You tell yourself you’ll get there “someday”–that you’ll move when you feel more confident, when you can “finally take care of yourself.”

You might feel resistance to writing out your ideal week. What if something comes up? What if you can’t stick to it? That’s ok. Even completing only 50% of your ideal week will likely leave you more productive than you are now.

Social media has ushered us into a new age of advertising. In most cases, consumers can choose to skip or scroll past digital ads. When this is the case, advertisers have to be savvy, and very concise. Delivering the message within a few seconds is crucial. The first set of ads I will review are comparison photo ads. These ads compare the status quo to a new way of doing things. Let’s jump in.

Of course today isn’t any different than yesterday. Animals, plants, stars, and viruses carry on, reacting to this day like any other. But today feels different than yesterday. Why is that? Calendars are a social construct. We could have chosen any day to be the start of a new year. Some cultures have chosen different days.

This experience has taught me a lot about creativity and consistency. Most of my posts have been on freelance, marketing, and productivity, but many have been self-referential, processing the experience of publishing every day. I’m going to curate a set of ideas from previous posts that summarize what this experience has taught me. Hopefully from this, you can glean insights and inspiration to commit to your own creative disciplines.

Cherish every moment. Chase the good, accept the bad. They’re both worth the same in the end. Make the most of your opportunities. Schedule time to rest and enjoy your life. Why?

I’ve spent the last 3 and a half years as Number 2 to Jeremiah Davis. I’ve learned a lot about how to properly assist someone in a high leverage position. But most of all, I’ve learned that it’s a great gig to have. Here’s why:

Are you planning for 2021? Is it approaching too fast? Is it simultaneously exciting and terrifying? That’s alright. It is for me too. In the days approaching the new year, I encourage you to spend more time leaning back and less time leaning forward. I mean this literally.

My work is heavily influenced by the books and blogs I read. My process for writing is this: wake up, shower, walk, read, write. Reading gets my mind warmed up, it introduces me to new ideas, and it inspires me. I hope you enjoy these books as much as I did.

The reason marketing frustrates so many people is because they can do all the right things and still fail. They can have a great color scheme, effective design, high quality images, and a compelling offer. And they can still be ignored.

Often, I focus on the imperfect 10%. I forget about the 90% that is still perfectly good and enjoyable. The reason we cook, watch sports, and play games is so we can talk. And as my parents and I sat in the backyard, bundled up, we did just that. We talked.

Being a professional in client care looks like developing and presenting the few best options to move forward. As odd as it sounds, great client care isn’t saying, “whatever you want, sir!” It’s saying, “Here’s what I believe is best and why. Let me take you there.”

If we work hourly, we aren’t in complete control of our time. There are even short-term benefits to wasting time. Of course, wasting time rarely pays off in the long run. But when it’s 3pm the day before Christmas Eve, who can blame you for reading a few of your favorite blogs before your holiday starts at 5?

You can take the same principle into your work. If you can decide with who, and when, and how, and with what, and why you will be generous in advance, then when those opportunities arise, you’ll feel great about taking them.

If you’re looking for a breezy, pleasantly cynical description of freelance life, pick up a copy of Carol Wolper’s Adapt or Wait Tables. This book reads like a Saturday afternoon glass of wine with your cool artist aunt.