You are not creative. You are just not selling.

Why the cult of creativity is killing small business marketing.

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There’s a dirty little secret in the advertising world: most of the ads winning awards aren’t winning customers.

Agencies fawn over clever copy, cinematic edits, and high-concept fluff. Meanwhile, the local dentist down the street still doesn’t have a full appointment book.

Here’s the truth nobody on the awards circuit wants to hear:

> If your ad doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative. It’s just noise with good lighting.

The Rosser Reeves Rule

Rosser Reeves, the man who pioneered the "Unique Selling Proposition," said it best: "Originality is the most dangerous word in advertising." Creativity that doesn't sell is swamp fire—all glow, no heat.

The best copywriters aren't the most original. They're the most effective. Mozart once said, "I have never made the slightest effort to compose anything original." That should tell you something.

What Ogilvy Knew

Ogilvy didn’t give a damn if his ads were charming. He wanted one thing: for the cash register to sing.

He respected the audience. He never insulted their intelligence with gimmicks. He obsessed over what worked — testing, researching, and studying until the right message revealed itself. Often, that message was simple. Factual. Even boring by award-show standards.

But it sold. And that’s the only metric that mattered.

How Creativity is Killing Your Campaigns

You’re prioritizing design over clarity

You’re obsessed with “brand voice” but not conversion

You’re chasing trends instead of building timeless messages

You’re writing for other marketers instead of your customer

Creativity isn’t the enemy. But when it becomes the goal instead of the vehicle, it turns lethal.

What to Do Instead

Start with the product. Make it the hero.

Say something true and useful.

Be clear, not clever.

Test everything. Kill what doesn’t convert.

Repeat what works until it doesn’t.

Final Thought

You don’t need to win awards. You need to win sales.

So stop trying to impress the marketing community. And start convincing the people who actually pay the bills.

Your customers.

Because they don’t care how pretty your ad is. They just want to know: "What’s in it for me?"