An important question: Does this make sense?

John Foust

Jul 1, 2025

As I write this, I have on my desk one of the most confusing ads I’ve ever seen. I saved it because it’s an example of what not to do in an ad. It’s an ad for a pizza restaurant, and is unfortunately a jumble of competing offers and special deals.

It’s divided into a series of 10 boxes, which is in itself a bad idea because boxes divide a larger space into a series of smaller ads on the page. Several of the boxes feature prices of different choices of pizzas. Others highlight percentage discounts and a free offer. Still more feature the name of the restaurant, the address, the phone number and the web address. The headline, which reads, “Now open,” appears at the bottom of the ad, where it looks like an afterthought. Add a QR code to the mix, and you have an unintelligible mess.

In addition to being a visual nightmare, the ad copy doesn’t make much sense at all. For example, the most prominent offer promotes “40% off all pizzas, sides and desserts. Not valid with other offers.” Well, why would you want to use it with other offers when the box beside it offers a free pizza? Then there are boxes that offer discount prices on specific flavors and sizes of pizzas — one– and two–topping pizzas, mix and match choices, extra large one-topping and large specialty pizza (what makes it special is not explained).

It's enough to make a pizza lover say, “I’ll just stay home and have a sandwich.”

I couldn’t help but wonder, “Did anybody proofread this monstrosity before it ran?” So I read it myself. There is not a single typo or misplaced punctuation mark. If this final version had been checked by someone who was looking for only grammatical errors, that would explain why the ad made it into print.

The problem is that it sends multiple messages — and none of them match. It reminds me of what one of my advertising clients once said about a new publication: “It has a lot of writing but not much reading.”

One of my favorite advertising stories is about the time I heard a speech by John O’Toole, who was at the time the chairman of Foote, Cone & Belding, a global ad agency. He also served as president of the American Association of Advertising Agencies. After his speech, I walked to the head table and asked him what he thought was the most important principle in advertising. Without hesitation, he said, “Clarity.”

There you have it. One of the most respected experts in the world said the secret to success in advertising is clarity. That secret can make a world of difference in persuasive communication, whether we’re selling products on an international scale or pizzas at a local restaurant.

What should we do with this information? We can start by going beyond grammar when we proofread ads and ad ideas. All it takes is one simple question: “Does this make sense?” © Copyright 2025 by John Foust. All rights reserved.

John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training videos to save time and get quick results from in-house training. Email for information: john@johnfoust.com