
Goldberg was a founding member and the first president of the National Cartoonists Society. He is the inspiration for various international competitions, known as Rube Goldberg Machine Contests, which challenge participants to make a complicated machine to perform a simple task. For cartoon enthusiasts, there is a new book out that was written by his grand daughter. The Art of Rube Goldberg. It's a coffee table book that I spent far too long leafing through at Indigo last weekend. Why all the attention to Rube Goldberg in a column normally focused on the ad industry? Because Goldberg's influence on style and art direction still touches us even today. I came across this outstanding ad from Purina and wanted to share it.
This ad is pure magic. Not just because it ties in with a 20th century iconic cartoonist. It follows the 3 cardinal rules of commercial advertising.
- Communicate the main selling proposition in an entertaining way.
- Appeal to the right emotional trigger.
- Make them remember who you are.
With over 30 years experience, Tim McLarty currently works out of Toronto Canada as a writer/voice performer, producer and media strategist producing advertising and entertainment content.
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