It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be

by Arden, Paul

• ISBN13: 9780714843377
• ISBN10: 0714843377
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-06-01
• Publisher: HACHETTE

Summary

It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be is a handbook of how to succeed in the world - a pocket 'bible' for the talented and timid to make the unthinkable thinkable and the impossible possible. The world's top advertising guru, Paul Arden, offers up his wisdom on issues as diverse as problem solving, responding to a brief, communicating, playing your cards right, making mistakes and creativity, all notions that can be applied to aspects of modern life. This book provides a unique insight into the world of advertising and is a quirky compilation of quotes, facts, pictures, wit and wisdom, packed into easy-to-digest, bite-sized spreads. If you want to succeed in life or business, this is a must!Paul Arden began his career in advertising at the age of 16. For 14 years he was Executive Creative Director at Saatchi and Saatchi, where he was responsible for some of Britain's best known campaigns including British Airways, Silk Cut, Anchor Butter, InterCity and Fuji. His famous slogans include 'The Car in front is a Toyota' and 'The Independent - It is - Are You?'. In 1993 he set up the London-based production company Arden Sutherland-Dodd where he is now a commercials director for clients such as BT, BMW, Ford, Nestle and Levis.

Author Biography

"

Paul Arden (1940‐2008) spent a stormy 18 years in advertising and then found his Alma Mater in Saatchi & Saatchi in 1977, where he worked for 15 years. During his tenure as Executive Creative Director he was responsible for some of Britain’s most successful advertising campaigns – including British Airways, Silk Cut, Intercity and Fuji – and famous slogans, such as "The Car in front is a Toyota" and "The Independent – It is. Are you?". In 1993 Arden set up the film production company Arden Sutherland‐Dodd and began a successful second career as a writer with a weekly column in The Independent and several publications including Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite (2006) and God Explained In A Taxi Ride (2007).

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Table of Contents

Why do we strive for excellence when mediocrity is required?	p. 10
So how good do you want to be?	p. 12
You can achieve the unachievable	p. 17
'I want to be as famous as Persil Automatic'	p. 18
Have you noticed how the cleverest people at school are not those who make it in life?	p. 20
The Fundamentals
Energy	p. 24
Do not seek praise. Seek criticism	p. 26
It's all my fault	p. 28
Do not covet your ideas	p. 30
Don't look for the next opportunity. The one you have in hand is the opportunity	p. 32
Accentuate the positive	p. 34
Eliminate the negative	p. 35
Do not put your cleverness in front of the communication	p. 36
Don't promise what you can't deliver	p. 38
Know your client's aims	p. 40
What do you do when your client won't buy?	p. 42
Don't take no for an answer	p. 44
When it can't be done, do it. If you don't do it, it doesn't exist	p. 46
If You Can't Solve a Problem, It's Because You're Playing by the Rules
The person who doesn't make mistakes, is unlikely to make anything	p. 50
'Fail, fail again. Fail better'	p. 52
It's wrong to be right	p. 54
It's right to be wrong	p. 56
Don't be afraid of silly ideas	p. 58
Give Yourself Some Spin
Play your cards right	p. 64
It's not what you know	p. 66
It's who you know	p. 67
Don't give a speech. Put on a show	p. 68
Getting fired can be a positive career move	p. 70
And Now for a Commercial Break
Doing a layout means having an idea	p. 74
Compose your ad from the weakest point	p. 78
Rough layouts sell the idea better than polished ones	p. 80
If you get stuck, draw with a different pen	p. 82
Suppliers are only as good as you are	p. 84
Don't be afraid to work with the best	p. 86
Get out of advertising	p. 88
Do not try to win awards	p. 90
You Don't have to be Creative to be Creative
How you can make your company great	p. 94
How a senior manager can make a big difference	p. 98
How a junior account handler can make a big difference	p. 99
How a media buyer can make a big difference	p. 101
New Business
What is meant by the word 'creative'?	p. 104
How to improve your strike rate	p. 106
Final Thoughts
My finest hour	p. 114
Notes from the pulpit	p. 118
Life's creative circle	p. 120
Wit and wisdom	p. 122
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