Do's and Don'ts

More from Harry Wayne McMahan's 1957 book "The Television Commercial".

A series of "Do and Don't" pages for advertising.

Do: Research (and find out animated cats will sell you hair tonic)

Don't: Assume (foxy broads will best shill coffee makers)

Do: expect longevity from variety (animate seals and Eskimos)

Don't: expect long life from a single heavily saturated ad (so you should make lots of them).

Also note the "Snap Crackle and Pop" characters -not the perfect draughtmanship we all remember.

Do: Repeat a jingle many times.

Don't: Repeat live action ads too often (make them animated!)

Now, on to "Cartoon or Live Action"

The animation was more appealing.  It best conveyed the fun and levity of the jingle.

Do: Use animation for comedy, exaggeration and fantasy.  (like a milk man boy head with a Pet Brand Dry Milk bottle body)

Don't: use animation for normal people doing normal things (in crazy Toon Land we call them "Normies").

Do: Use live action to stir emotions (like, ack!  a crying baby!)

Don't: Use cartoons for human interest