Four Stars and a point. Dave Trott is advertising’s Trotty, loved by many, respected by all. You’ve never heard of Trotty? Catch him on his great YouTube presentation “Predatory Thinking”, like his book (watch out there’s a Dave Trott guy who is into telescopes and another one who is a politician. None of them).
I have read all his books (I think I have One + One = Three awaiting in my iPad), and I am also a regular reader of his blog davetrott.com. Plus I follow him on Twitter.
So, I don’t really know if all the material in this book is absolutely original or if it has been published somewhere, somehow before. It reads like some bells I've read ringing before. Maybe different bells but they all sound like bells.
Let me tell you two things:
a) Trotty is a crafty curator of anecdotes, quotations and stories –some probably apocryphal- and he uses them to make very clear points;
b) He would have made a brilliant sophist in Athens 25 centuries ago. Trotty can argue any point forwards and backwards in a succinct, eloquent and cogent manner. As he does a couple of times here. He can convince you that experts are worth our trust because they are experts just as readily as he can talk you into believing that experts know less than an open-minded ignoramus. So, don’t believe everything Mr. Trott tells you; he didn’t become a top advertising man by being unconvincing and letting obscure facts interrupt a good yarn.
And don’t let that last comment put you off.
You don’t have to believe the ad man to enjoy the art in the ad. Ad people themselves don’t believe in what they sell you most of the time (I have a copywriter friend, a reformed alcoholic who's gone Happy-clappy hallelujah and is convincing the masses in her country to consume an alcoholic beverage. She is collecting awards for the campaign too. Her CCO is also a PTL person. But they are both good women who make a good income out of tempting the hordes to have a good time).