And Now A Few Laughs from Our Sponsor: The Best of Fifty Years of Radio Commercials

Larry Oakner, a lifelong advertising specialist, makes the case that radio advertising is and has been for the past fifty years a wonderfully creative, humorous, and effective way to get attention. Why do some ads compel listeners to lunge for the off switch while others are so winning that no one can resist lending an ear? Oakner explains why and how, with specific examples. He boils the lessons down into three parts: Respect the fundamentals (great script, casting, and performance); know that radio is a collaborative medium (involve your sound designer early on); and "be here now" (the best ads use contemporary references as shorthand). The book comes with a CD-ROM full of fodder to back up his argument, using funny audio clips from the past and present for products as diverse as Molson beer and Laughing Cow cheese. (To run the CD, you'll need an IBM-PC or compatible computer, and audio software such as Real Audio or Windows Media Player.)