The Power of Advertising

The Conservative Hipster is disappointed with the quality of choices in the Globe and Mail's top ten Canadian TV commercials of all time.

Indeed. The most effective advertising is advertising that you remember for years after the ads stop running and still drives your decision-making.

The most effective ad in this regard I've ever seen was for Casino Taxi in Halifax. Anyone from Nova Scotia of a certain age will remember the jingle verbatim.

If you're a person on the go, write down this number
It's the key to travelling quick!
It's Casino Taxi's number
429-6666!

Casino Taxi, they're the fast ones
Casino Taxi, near as your phone!
No need to run, don't get wet, dial that number
429-6666! Or 425-6666!

That ad hadn't been running for years and Casino Taxi was still the only cab company I'd call in Halifax, just because I could remember the number from it.

I hope that the person who came up with that ad went on to bigger and better things with a Toronto or New York agency. Theirs was a talent in need of a broader audience.