Long before social media existed, the proto-tweets of advertising had penetrated American popular culture: 'A mind is a terrible thing to waste.' 'Where's the beef?' 'A diamond is forever.' 'Think different.' You'd be hard pressed to find a writer's craft that has more directly influenced the vernacular.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the significant impact of advertising on culture and language.
David Droga emphasizes the profound effect that advertising slogans have had on American culture and language. He notes that iconic phrases like 'A mind is a terrible thing to waste' and 'Think different' not only influence consumer behavior but also shape the way people communicate, showcasing the power of advertising in embedding itself into everyday vernacular long before the age of social media.
In practice
In a discussion about the influence of advertising, one might use this quote to illustrate how pervasive marketing phrases are.
A lot of people ask what it takes to move from being a creative to a leader: Take everyone's career personally. People will work hard for you if you work hard for them. Any idiot can be a boss; all you need is a title. But to be a leader, you need to earn respect and have an opinion you stand by.
Before we start anything creatively, we have a firm understanding of our objective and our frame of mind for the campaign. Who's our audience, and what's their day-to-day behavior? How can we complement those behaviors? How is our message more than an interruption? Why would people care about what we're saying?
One day, I will be a poet. Water will depend on my visions.
Truly fine poetry must be read aloud. A good poem does not allow itself to be read in a low voice or silently. If we can read it silently, it is not a valid poem: a poem demands pronunciation. Poetry always remembers that it was an oral art before it was a written art. It remembers that it was first song.
Those with prodigious skill in music are better suited for all things.
Why not do something strange and different for once? Artists can do whatever they want!
Happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely.
I'm just glad that I'm the musical equivalent of a character actress, because blues singers can keep singing and having an audience at 35, and someone like Madonna's gonna have to find something else to do, 'cos I don't care how pointy those bras are that she wears, they're still gonna look a little odd when she's 55!
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.