How To Sound Like an Advertising Pro

Ad folks are notorious portfolio pushers. Any excuse to mention any accomplishment – we’ll take it. But there are nuances to name dropping. Alas, Lovely Days gives you five topical templates to make every conversation all about you. New to the industry? Master these conversational pivots and you’re on your way to speaking like an old pro.

1. “Reminds me of the time I…”

This is an old classic. Take whatever the conversation is about, then say, “reminds me of the time I…” and the floor is yours.

UNSUSPECTING FRIEND: “My mom’s been really sick.”

YOU: “Reminds me of the time I did a sick 360 campaign for Dove Chocolates. You should get your mom some chocolates. It won a bunch of local awards. The campaign did.”

2. The 7 year anniversary post.

EXAMPLE POST: ‘Sup fam! Can’t believe it was seven years ago today we launched our “Believe it Buster” campaign for Dave & Busters that totally ‘busted’ the space. Crazy to look back on. Peep the work in my portfolio.’

3. “Nikki Haley should do like we did”

Things aren’t looking good for Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley. But why talk about the future of the republic when we could focus on your old work?

YOU: Haley’s message isn’t resonating. She should do what we did in 2008.

UNINTERESTED FRIEND: You worked for Obama in 2008?

YOU: No, Church’s Chicken. People weren’t buying chicken, so I totally rewrote the messaging strategy for Church’s. It took off in a major way. In the region. It got nominated for a lot of stuff.

4. Super Bowl MII

UNINITIATED FRIEND: Go Chiefs!

YOU: Oh, I’ve made a few Super Bowl commercials.

UNINITIATED FRIEND: Mahomes looks good.

YOU: You have to call it the big game. It’s a thing.

UNINITIATED FRIEND: …

YOU: I did a big Super Bowl campaign. Well, the campaign ran during the Super Bowl. It was made earlier, actually. But it ran during the Super Bowl, yes it did. In some markets.

5. How Cannes I work this in?

It’s a bit disruptive. But disruption is what we do.

FRIEND: I hate what’s happening in Ukraine/the Middle East/politics/California/the South/college football.

YOU: I won a Cannes Lion. A campaign I worked on did. The agency that did the TV won. I worked on email. Email strategy.