Like “Seinfeld,” This Ad’s About Nothing

Art Technology Group appears to be a terrific e-commerce resource for major players – but you’d never guess from looking at the ad for its Web site

ART TECHNOLOGY GROUP is an impressive e-commerce services company. With the Dynamo software suite and its support capabilities, ATG has attracted a blue-ribbon list of companies seeking to develop and maintain a complex e-commerce platform on the Web. So what in the world were ATG and its ad agency thinking of when they created and approved a no-copy ad like this for Business Week? Come along with me and let’s try to guess.

Scenario No. 1. The copywriter spends so much time studying and trying to understand the important but complex technical sales benefits laid out in the company’s Web site that his head hurts. He can’t figure out how to boil all of this down to a simple, powerful sales argument. Besides, why should he? Most other dot-com ads don’t say much, and their agencies are making lots of money.

Deadline approaches. Finally, lightning strikes. How about an ad about nothing? After all, Jerry Seinfeld did shows about nothing for years, and it made him a multimillionaire.

Scenario No. 2. Deadline looming. The art director on the account comes into the copywriter’s office and says, “Where’s that e-commerce platform ad that’s due on Friday? What’s it going to say?”

Copywriter: “Which e-commerce platform?”

Art director: “Which e-commerce platform, eh? Hmm. That’s not bad. Not as long-winded as your usual stuff. This time I think I can design a really ultramodern ad that won’t seem too busy. I think we’ve got a real shot at winning some awards with this baby. Thanks.”

Scenario No. 3. The copywriter slaves for days trying to understand, simplify and communicate some of the complex advantages detailed on the Web site. He finally manages to carve and polish a beautiful piece of copy that David Ogilvy would have beamed at. He shows it to the art director.

Art director: “Are you nuts? Nobody reads long copy anymore. Give me something I can work with. Cut it down to – oh…let’s say, three words.”

Copywriter: “But, but – the client’s Web site has maybe 10,000 words of copy altogether.”

Art director: “That’s different, dummy. That’s a Web site. This is advertising.”

Copywriter: “Oh.”

Scenario No. 4. The copywriter and art director craft an ad that Ogilvy would have been proud of. Account manager vetoes it because nobody reads any more.

Scenario No. 5. Boss OKs it and submits it to client. The client rejects it because nobody reads all that copy anymore. “Look at what the other dot-com advertisers are doing.”

OK, you get the idea. I think you may have figured out by now that I found the Art Technology Group ad shown here just a wee bit disappointing.

You don’t know who it’s addressing, what it’s selling, and what the advantages might be that would make you want to go to the Web site and find out more.

Like the hypothetical copywriter above, I studied the ATG Web pages so much that my head hurt. It’s not their fault, it’s just very formidable technology for someone who’s not on the IT firing line.

I think a simplified summary, enough to whet the appetite for more, could be put together, and I considered going that route. But at best it might still be tough going for the reader as well as me.

Then another course occurred to me that sidestepped that problem. Instead of selling the product’s advantages, sell its success. One of the best advertising claims of all is “We’re No. 1.” ATG may not be No. 1, but it’s attracted an impressive number of blue-clip customers and awards.

Now my makeover ad strategy and execution began to fall into place.

Who should the ad call out to? A decision-maker or influencer in a substantial company, not a mom-and-pop store. (ATG’s services are too costly for the latter and would be overkill.)

What’s it selling? Heavy-duty software, support and guidance for designing, improving and maintaining not just a Web site, but a high-performance e-commerce strategy and platform for major players.

What is the featured benefit? To be a winner and go with a winner that helps other important companies make their mark on the Internet. (I debated saying “commerce platform” instead of “Web site” in theheadline, as ATG had done, and it could be argued that the former is a more meaningful and impressive set of buzzwords. But I opted for “Web site” for clarity.)

What’s a possible reader objection to be overcome? “It’s too late,” the reader may be thinking. “Our Web site is already too far developed to turn back.” The ad copy says it isn’t.

I’m afraid my ATG makeover would not win any awards. It’s not very clever. It’s not very “exciting.” The only exciting thing about it would be the sharp increase in Web traffic and sales that I’m convinced would result.

But isn’t that what advertising is all about?

P.S. Several readers wrote in to complain that my Tektronix ad makeover had some misteaks in it. You have to understand, I never make misteaks except on purpose. I deliberately put those boo-boos in their just to see if you were payhing attention.