woman holding up two fingers

The Cranky Creative blog turns two

As The Cranky Creative toddles headlong into the Terrible Twos, let’s celebrate by taking a look back at some of this blog’s best and most popular posts of the past year.

But before we begin, please let me say “thank you.”

Since The Cranky Creative went live on July 5, 2018, we’ve made friends, fans, and followers in countries around the world. Whether you are a first-time visitor or a regular reader and commenter, it means a lot to me that you are here.

As always, if you see a post you like, please share it with your friends and colleagues. And let me know if you have suggestions for other topics you’d like me to cover. Send an email to rob@thecrankycreative.com or leave a comment below.

Now let’s get on with it, shall we?


The best of The Cranky Creative, year two

Progressive’s ‘Motaur’ ads are too clever by half

Progressive insurance company's new motorcycle mascot, Motaur

What happens when advertisers prioritize creativity and visual effects over the job of selling? We get overproduced nonsense like the Motaur ads, which make the advertiser look unserious and the target audience look silly.

Ear-ritating: How TV commercials use sound to get our attention

obnoxious boy yelling into a microphone to get attention

Sound is a powerful tool in advertising. This post names and shames advertisers who misused that power to create truly obnoxious ads.

Oh, and hey, did you know there is a style of advertising voiceover known among voice actors as the “fuck-you” read? By golly, it’s true!

No good: Super Bowl LIV commercials miss the mark

football referee making no good hand signal

This past February, Super Bowl advertisers spent $5.6 million for 30 seconds to make people go “ha!” or “aww”—only to have their big-budget ads forgotten a moment later. The Cranky Creative recounts who did it wrong—and reveals the surprise advertiser who did it right.

New Year’s resolutions for TV advertisers

messy aftermath of a New Year's Eve party

The Cranky Creative kicked off 2020 with nine New Year’s resolutions to help advertisers better serve their clients and consumers. They’re great ideas if the industry would heed them.

Ad Review: PS Vue gets it right

ad review for the playstation vue tv commercial

PS Vue was the best live-TV streaming service ever. It’s not around anymore, but no one can blame the ads. In this review, I examine what Vue advertising got right that so many ads get so wrong.

(Be sure to watch the live-action ad about desperate citizens struggling to escape the tyranny of cable TV. It’s as entertaining as it is effective.)


Related reading: The Cranky Creative blog turns one.


Advertising quotes from the real-life Mad Men

David Ogilvy the father of advertising mad men

Behold the brilliance of ad industry legends David Ogilvy, William Bernbach, Leo Burnett, and many more. If only our up-and-coming ad creators would abide by their wisdom, clients and consumers would have a lot fewer reasons to be cranky.

Business buzzwords and corporate jargon I hate

business buzzwords and corporate jargon i hate

The corporate world runs on business jargon—bullshitty buzzwords that mask the meaning of the things we want to say.

How many of these words and expressions do you hear at work?


Perennial Cranky favorites

These posts are more than a year old, but they are popular enough—and important enough—to highlight again.

Why I love graphic designers (and why your brand needs a good one)

happy valentines day graphic designers

It’s been said that French is the language of love. Not true.

The real language of love is graphic design—a visual language with the power to attract, engage, persuade, and move people to their cores.

How do I love graphic designers? In this blog post, I count the ways.

Anxiety and creativity: How they’re linked, tips to cope

creative people suffer more from anxiety mood disorders

One harrowing night in 2015, I had an anxiety attack—the first of my life. This post explores the link between creative people and anxiety, as well as tips for keeping the demons at bay.

(Did you know that celebrities who battle anxiety and/or depression include Oprah Winfrey, Nicole Kidman, Drew Barrymore, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Brooke Shields? I’m in good company!)

“Should I quit my job?” 16 signs it’s time to move on

Cranky Creative, creatives, creative professionals, constructive creative feedback

If you are so unhappy at work that you find yourself Googling “Should I quit my job?”, then Houston, you have a problem.
Here are 16 signs it may be time to move on.

(This post includes a video of Steve Jobs delivering his inspiring commencement speech to the graduates of Stanford University in 2005. No exaggeration—it changed my life.)

9 ways to keep your creative professionals happy and productive

Cranky Creative blog post, how to keep professionals happy and productive

Creative professionals are a unique breed: friendly, fun, and full of amazing ideas. Here are nine things you can do to keep your agency or in-house creatives happy, productive, and doing their best work.

How did you find The Cranky Creative blog? Do you have a favorite post? What topics would you like to see covered here in the future? Or, just jot a note to say hi.


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4 comments

    1. Thanks, Chris! I learned a lot from you over the years. Time to see if I can repay the favor a little bit. 🙂

    1. Oh, thank you, Holly! After all we’ve been through over the past six months, your compliment is just what I needed to hear. 🙂

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