Keep it simple, stupid.

Simplify. That’s my one-word commandment to you. The human race is generating new messaging at an unprecedented rate. The average person endures 6,000 to 10,000 ads a day. Brands that stand out are masters in the art of simplicity.

“Nobody reads ads. People read what interests them. Sometimes, that’s an ad.”
Howard Gossage said that. He was an ad man in the 1960s.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
Leonardo Da Vinci said that. He was a genius, too.

“Less.”
I said that. Why? Because “Less is more” is too damn long.

Simplicity is the most valuable quality you can give your brand messaging. It’s not that hard to do, either. Here’s how:

1. Find the words that aren’t essential to your brand messaging. Eliminate them.
2. Find the design elements that aren’t essential to your brand messaging. Eliminate them.

See? Easy as pie. The hard part is sticking to your guns. You need to have the conviction–and so does the rest of your team–that simple is better, less is more, and a message delivered in 20 words trumps one delivered in 200.

Simple is different. It catches the eye. Of course, what you say in your brand messaging needs to be compelling, relevant, and interesting. But simplicity has an undefeated record in the sport of getting attention.  

Enough said.