Hey - It's Carson.

I’m back from Georgia and busier than ever, but that’s a good thing. There are some HUGE things in the works at Madvertising, but I can’t share just yet.

Anyway, let’s get into it.

Fun fact: Most lipsticks contain fish scales.

Most of the lipsticks made are the byproducts of fish scales called pearl essence or pearlessence. It makes the fish scales shine and your lips shiny as well.

I digress.

One thing I found this week that I found very interesting, both as a read and info-wise, is an article with 10 facts about OOH advertising.

Some of the stats might come as a surprise, but it’s a good (and short) read. Check it out here!

Let’s get into the best ads I found this week.

Ads of the Week

Bic, Olipop, Spacegoods, Axe, AgeMate

Bic

🧠 Principle: Nostalgia Effect

🖋️ Definition: The cognitive bias of remembering the past more fondly than it was and the psychological impact of this feeling, which can be both positive and negative.

💡 Why it works: Nostalgia is a heavy emotional driver for us. It creates immense positive memories that give us a sense of comfort and familiarity.

This is because it activates areas of our brain tied to memory and belonging making us feel seen and understood.

Now let me quickly say, I laughed so hard at this ad because I used to do this shit in my yearbooks.

The ad replicates the look of old yearbook photos and the line “Unfriending long before social media” bridges our past to today which triggers a mix of humor and recognition.

It connects an old-school emotional memory to a modern behavior and is incrediblyt relatable because it speaks to a specific moment, which as I’m sure you know by now, I’m all about.

Remember that we pay more attention to messages that reflect shared experiences or cultural habits we understand.

Everyone’s either done this or seen it, so it’s instantly relatable, regardless of age, which makes the humor and nostalgia land across any generation that’s ever had a damn yearbook.

Olipop

🧠 Principle: Contrast Effect

🖋️ Definition: The perceptual enhancement or diminishment of an item's qualities due to its comparison with another item.

💡 Why it works: The human brain processes things through comparison because it gives us a point of relativity (which is how we make associations in learning).

When two options are placed side by side, the differences are more dramatic, and one option (the intended one) is clearly superior.

This is a heuristic (shortcut) our brains use to simplify decisions, called relative evaluation.

Olipop compares itself against “Traditional Soda” with side-by-side stats: sugar, fiber, calories, carbs.

The contrast difference between the color, shape, and tone makes traditional soda look outdated and unhealthy, and Olipop feels fresh, modern, and guilt-free.

How information is presented determines how it’s perceived. The same facts can lead to different reactions depending on the context.

So… Olipop frames their soda not as a guilty pleasure but as a health innovation because it’s “A New Kind of Soda.”

BUT, Instead of attacking soda drinkers, it redefines what soda has the potential to be. This positive frame triggers curiosity rather than defensiveness.

Do. Not. Attack. Customers.

EVER.

Spacegoods

🧠 Principle: Cognitive Consistency

🖋️ Definition: The psychological theory that humans are motivated to maintain harmony between their thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.

💡 Why it works: Humans want consistency between desire and reward. When something promises us performance (focus, productivity) but tastes like pleasure (hot chocolate), it creates a surprising (but satisfying) balance between work and indulgence.

Your brain gets hooked because it offers the dopamine of a “treat” and the justification of being “good for you.”

It combines performance language (“Maintain all-day focus”) with sensory reward cues (“Tastes like hot chocolate”), combating objections and satisfying both the rational and emotional sides of your brain.

Plus, the social proof, “Over 75,000+ Happy Customers” uses our herd behavior bias because if that many people trust it, it must work. It builds immediate legitimacy without heavy explanation.

Axe

🧠 Principle: Contrast Effect

🖋️ Definition: The perceptual enhancement or diminishment of an item's qualities due to its comparison with another item.

💡 Why it works: Like I just recently said, our brain perceives value and quality through contrast. When one option looks outdated or undesirable, the alternative immediately appears superior, even without direct features being listed.

Axe claims itself to be the modern, youthful, and sexy option by visually contrasting against “granny-like” feminine deodorants.

The floral packaging, pastel colors, and dated names (“Spring Breeze,” “Rose Passion”) next to Axe’s black, sleek packaging gives them a bold and modern appeal to men.

Men will subconsciously compare them and conclude: “Yeah, I don’t want to smell like that.”

Humor captures attention by violating expectations in a harmless way. The brain enjoys resolving that “surprise gap.”

The cans that say “about smelling like your granny” is unexpected, cheeky, and a little provocative (dare I say). It takes a boring deodorant ad and turns it into a playful cultural commentary humor that connects with younger audiences who want to avoid being “uncool.”

We primarily buy products that affirm how we see ourselves (or who they want to be).

AgeMate

🧠 Principle: Dual Benefit Framing

🖋️ Definition: A persuasion technique that presents a message by highlighting both a personal benefit for the audience and a benefit for another party, such as a company or a social cause.

💡 Why it works: The human brain loves simple, visual clarity, especially when benefits are mutually reinforcing.

When two desirable outcomes are connected in one image (like a Venn diagram), it communicates that you’re not choosing between results, but that you’re getting both.

Now here’s why I love this ad…. it simplifies the product’s benefits into a mental model:

Better Sleep + More Energy = AgeMate.

The Venn diagram format makes it easy for you to instantly “get it” without reading a paragraph.

The ad never explicitly says “this gives you better sleep and more energy.” Instead, it lets your brain make that connection yourself.

Golden nugget tip: that’s a subtle persuasion trick that creates ownership of the value (people believe what they conclude more than what they’re told).

Here's an ad I made for Colgate

Annndddd that’s a wrap for this week. As always thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed and got some good value from it.

Be sure to check me out on my other socials below for more ad content!

Till next week.

Stay Mad,

-Carson 🧪

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