Jeff Goodby talks about advertising

Excerpts from an BusinessWeek interview with Jeff Goodby.

Why is an advertising guy addressing a design conference?
Advertising has a responsibility to act like a thing that is going to be unavoidably in the environment, where we live and breathe. And we have a responsibility to make that work in such a way that it is welcomed and not scorned. Creating communication that is welcomed helps both the success of the advertising and the landscape. That's where design comes in. Advertising is design in motion.

How do you mean?
Advertising is out there. Our job is to come up with more advertising that people actually seek out. It's the same way with successful design. When you design something right, people don't just accept it, they seek it out. And then they tell their friends about it or show it off.

The challenge is the same in advertising, now more than ever. People are the best ad medium I know of. When you get a person to wear and talk your brand in a positive way, that's what we are all aiming for. If you don't create advertising that is welcomed, I don't see how you get there.

So, is the old model of the unique selling proposition dead or at least dying?
I wouldn't say that exactly. But what I do know is that the Internet has reversed the tide flow. You have to create stuff today that people go to rather than spending all your time sending stuff out to consumers hoping that they see it.