What great horn players can teach you about advertising

"Maceo! Blow your horn!"

Repetition has no greater master than Maceo Parker - the legendary sax player whose horn lines helped make James Brown the "Godfather of Soul". Nobody made points more simply and more often than Maceo. And that's the essence of advertising.

Write a funky line. Repeat. Repeat again. Repeat once more. And again.

Good advertising is heavy on the repetition. The truly gifted - like Maceo - find ways to make the point fun; the kind of point you wanna hear over and over again. Bud Light's got it. Geico's got it. Apple's got it.

Write a funky line. Repeat. Repeat again. Repeat once more. And again.

Trane - Explore your possibilities

Have you ever listened to John Coltrane's "My Favorite Things"? Apart from the 13+ minute treatment of the title tune, it is an album of experimentation. As is "A Love Supreme". As is "Giant Steps".

Further experimentation - he switched from clarinet, to alto sax, to soprano sax. He played with Miles, Monk and Ellington. His spiritual life was a mixture of predominant and not-so-predominant beliefs.

Yet the Coltrane sound was distinctive. It was the essence of his character. While it embraced all forms, it engaged each form in its own way.

13+ minutes of "My Favorite Things" is not an accident. It's a fairly straightforward tune from a very straightforward musical. Trane isn't just playing a long version of the tune. He's pushing its limits. He's testing its boundaries.

Now how about you? Have you explored your parameters like Trane?

The tune of your advertising can stand it, if you stay true to your brand's character. Think VW. The same folks who had the nerve to take out full page ads in the 60's jokingly calling their car a "Lemon", recently sold their cars on safety, then 6 months later on fun (with a little help from Wilco's "Sky Blue Sky"). Different selling points? Of course. But does it feel out of character? No. They've tested their advertising's limits and found it freeing. And it can be for you, too.

Next time you look at a blank script, think of Trane. Then, test your boundaries.

Miles and Evolution

A related lesson comes from Trane's contemporary and early partner, the legendary Miles Davis. (I had a music teacher tell me once that Jazz History can be traced through the work of five people - two of whom are Trane and Miles. It's not a coincidence that they both have lessons to impart.)

While Trane tested the internal boundaries of a piece, Miles tested the boundaries of new forms altogether. Miles led the transition of Jazz from BeBop to Cool to Fusion. He was the major proponent of each form, and without him, it's doubtful the forms would have taken real hold. His willingness to embrace new forms kept him relevant as most of his contemporaries faded away or died.

Does that sound at all like someone that you can learn from?

Miles' example is one of courage. Like the freedom offered by Trane's boundary-testing, Miles offers you hope. You can try something you never have, and if you've got a strong enough character, it'll work.

So, if you're shying away from new forms of advertising, why are you? Is there a valid business reason like poor return? That's good management. If it's because you're not quite sure how, that's not fine. Better to learn than to avoid.

If you're not sure how, take another lesson from Miles - pair up with someone who does. Bill Evans worked with Miles to initiate the Cool movement. Herbie Hancock was there with Miles in the move to Fusion. Who do you know who knows what you don't? Or, who do you know who's willing to take the risk with you? Leverage that and you might be surprised by the results.