An advertising
agency in
Albuquerque,
New Mexico.

• About 3
• Philosophy
• Blog
• Toybox
• Contact Us

Portfolio

Categories Print Radio Outdoor Ambient Internet Collateral ID Packages Logos Posters Promotional Environment TV Direct Mail

Thing of the Week Archives

• Leaders
• News
• Careers

We're always trying to one-up our clients’ competitors with guerrilla tactics
that surprise and reward, with the goal of introducing our clients to those we
are targeting. But we are often struck by the lack of separation in people's minds between fresh new tactics and gack - the annoying advertising for advertising sake - or what some have called “ad creep.”

So, these are a few guidelines we use to determine if an idea is worthy
of pursuit:

If it annoys people, it's gack. If it entertains, it's fresh.

If it's pasting a logo on something (escalators, elevator buttons, cups, etc.), it's probably gack. If people stop and look at it, it's fresh.

If it adds to people's loathing of advertising in general, it's gack. If they don't even think of it as advertising, it's fresh.

If the audience is captive and can’t escape the message, it might be gack. If the audience feels like they are stumbling upon it, it’s fresh.

If the guerrilla message isn’t customized for the location, it could be gack. If the message couldn’t work without the location, it’s fresh.

 

At some point in the past decade, advertising agencies stopped wanting to be advertising agencies. Is it because, as an industry, we’re embarrassed? Maybe it’s the bad connotation people associate with “ad people” being slick or self-serving. Perhaps it’s the self-perception that because “advertising” is changing, clients will think advertising agencies are limited to traditional advertising. Who knows. But whatever the reason, ad agencies have taken to calling themselves “brand consultants” or some other euphemism meant to imply greater credibility.

To us, a good ad agency is a good ad agency and should be able to handle anything. The solid agencies adapt, adjust, understand new media, create their own media for clients and help their clients rock and roll through the constant changes in communications.

We’re an ad agency. Hi.

 

We decided to make our place as simple (but as nice) as possible so anyone could view it. No freaky downloads here. You'll notice we adopted a blog format for much of the site. It makes it easier to see the work without having to click your way from here to Hades just to view some ads.

Besides the requisite blog, we've added a Toybox feature where, from time to time, we'll show you some of the dorky stuff that happens around here. And there's the "thing of the week" which is, well, the "thing of the week."

That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by.

 

© 2008 3 Advertising LLC, a full-service advertising agency in Albuquerque, New Mexico.