Simplicity Is The New Sophistication - Part 1

Have you ever walked down the street in New York City? It is breathtaking. Thousands of people walk along the widewalks, dressed and looking so differently and even speaking different languages. The wide boulevards are crammed with buses and taxi cabs. The air smells of exhaust, grime, food and perfume from passersby. All around you tall buildings touch the sky. Giant billboards displaying expensive watches and attractive models vie for your attention. Near Times Square, they mesmerize with blinking lights and glowing digital screens. It's Broadway, Wall Street, Greenwich Village, Chinatown, Little Italy! New York envelopes and draws you into its bigger-than-life. Nothing else is quite like it.

New York is also a metaphor for modern life. It is big, bold, complex, everywhere and overwhelming. You can't escape it - not for long - and it forces your total engagement.

In a New York City world, what kind of advertising stands out and captures people's attention? Is it the audacious, flashy, in-your-face billboards of Times Square, ever trying to outdo what came before? Perhaps. Many people think so and much marketing rolls down that noisy path. But let me ask you this: In an overstimulated and overwhelmed society, do people want more of the same? Or do they really crave the exact opposite of the New York City world? Something that settles and pulls them back into balance.

You can make a strong case for the latter - for advertising that is simple instead of complex and soothing instead of overbearing. Here is another way to put it: Simplicity is the new sophistication and serenity is the new excitement. If your products and marketing reflect these values, they will be different and stand out, and people will be drawn to them, like bees to honey, because they offer a welcome respite from the New York City world!