--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A desirable advertisement will be…" description: "\"A desirable advertisement will be reasonable, but never dull ... original, but never self-conscious ... imaginative, but never misleading.\" — Fairfax M..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/fairfax-m-cone-61774_advertisement_a-desirable-advertisement-will-be-reason_1882648.png" --- # A desirable advertisement will be reasonable, but never… ![“A desirable advertisement will be reasonable, but never dull ... original, but never self-conscious ... imaginative, but never misleading.” quote by Fairfax M. Cone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/fairfax-m-cone-61774_advertisement_a-desirable-advertisement-will-be-reason_1882648.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/fairfax-m-cone-61774_advertisement_a-desirable-advertisement-will-be-reason_1882648.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/fairfax-m-cone-61774_advertisement_a-desirable-advertisement-will-be-reason_1882648.png) > “A desirable advertisement will be reasonable, but never dull ... original, but never self-conscious ... imaginative, but never misleading.” [Fairfax M. Cone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fairfax-m-cone/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective ads must balance originality, imagination, and honesty without becoming dull or self‑conscious. **In simple terms:** Good ads are original, imaginative, honest, yet not boring or pretentious. Key Takeaway Strive for balanced creativity. Themes advertising creativity authenticity balance Mood analytical inspirational Type strategic creative When to use this quote - product launch - brand campaigns - media planning - creative brainstorming Key Concepts marketing theory communication design Questions to Reflect On - What makes an ad feel genuine? - How to avoid over‑editing? A Different Perspective Risk of being too safe or too avant‑garde. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advertising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) [Imaginative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginative/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self conscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-conscious/) ## Related quotes > [I think if you can create a meaningful thing that is also an advertisement that's a pretty cool option for brands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-walters/i-think-if-you-can-create-a-meaningful-thing-that-is-also-an/) [Doug Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-walters/) > [The monster of advertisement...is a sort of octopus with innumerable tentacles. It throws out to right and left, in front and behind, its clammy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bernhardt/the-monster-of-advertisement-is-a-sort-of-octopus-with-innumerable/) [Sarah Bernhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bernhardt/) > [I don't even notice the advertisement that comes up on my screen. I'm a smart person and it's just something I've just blacked out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-gyllenhaal/i-don-t-even-notice-the-advertisement-that-comes-up-on-my-screen-i-m/) [Maggie Gyllenhaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-gyllenhaal/) > [The town is an advertisement for itself; none of its charms are left to the visitor's imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-isherwood/the-town-is-an-advertisement-for-itself-none-of-its-charms-are-left/) [Christopher Isherwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-isherwood/) > [The advertisement is the most truthful part of a newspaper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-advertisement-is-the-most-truthful-part-of-a-newspaper/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [One person reads the book, and cannot help telling a friend. That is vastly superior to any kind of advertisement, or clever magazine article.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/one-person-reads-the-book-and-cannot-help-telling-a-friend-that-is/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [I'm one of those people that think that what you put up on screen, no matter how you're stating it, is usually an advertisement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azazel-jacobs/i-m-one-of-those-people-that-think-that-what-you-put-up-on-screen-no/) [Azazel Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azazel-jacobs/) > [What is a good advertisement? An advertisement which pleases you because of its style, or an advertisement which sells the most? They are seldom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/what-is-a-good-advertisement-an-advertisement-which-pleases-you/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Claude Hopkins.. maintained that nobody with a college education could write an advertisement addressed to the mass millions. That's absolute poppycock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/claude-hopkins-maintained-that-nobody-with-a-college-education-could/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [I'm not a very good advertisement for the American school system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brinkley/i-m-not-a-very-good-advertisement-for-the-american-school-system/) [David Brinkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brinkley/) > [Every single element in an advertisement - headline, subhead, photo, and copy - must be put there not because it looks good, not because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-caples/every-single-element-in-an-advertisement-headline-subhead-photo-and/) [John Caples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-caples/) > [Whatever claim you use to gain attention, the advertisement should tell a story reasonably complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-c-hopkins/whatever-claim-you-use-to-gain-attention-the-advertisement-should/) [Claude C. Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-c-hopkins/) > [advertisement ... has brought our disregard for truth into the open without even a figleaf to cover it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freya-stark/advertisement-has-brought-our-disregard-for-truth-into-the-open/) [Freya Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freya-stark/) > [Basically, art should remain something that is complex, that has many layers, so there's always a possibility to reconsider things and have a different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-henrot/basically-art-should-remain-something-that-is-complex-that-has-many/) [Camille Henrot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-henrot/) > [I had just turned 28 and sold my first book, a travel guide for vegetarians, but I'd tell people about the day job that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bernard-frost/i-had-just-turned-28-and-sold-my-first-book-a-travel-guide-for/) [James Bernard Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bernard-frost/) ## More by Fairfax M. Cone > [Write to one person, not a million.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fairfax-m-cone/write-to-one-person-not-a-million/) [Fairfax M. Cone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fairfax-m-cone/) > [Good advertising is written from one person to another. When it is aimed at millions it rarely moves anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fairfax-m-cone/good-advertising-is-written-from-one-person-to-another-when-it-is/) [Fairfax M. Cone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fairfax-m-cone/) > [Somebody finally has to get out an ad, often after hours. Somebody has to stare at a blank piece of paper. Probably nothing was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fairfax-m-cone/somebody-finally-has-to-get-out-an-ad-often-after-hours-somebody-has/) [Fairfax M. Cone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fairfax-m-cone/) > [Our job if I can see straight and hear clearly and understand ~ is to make advertising and run advertising that is seen and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fairfax-m-cone/our-job-if-i-can-see-straight-and-hear-clearly-and-understand-is-to/) [Fairfax M. Cone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fairfax-m-cone/) [Explore all 5 Fairfax M. Cone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fairfax-m-cone/) ## More Advertisement quotes > [“Take care of your costume and your confidence will take care of itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/take-care-of-your-costume-and-your-confidence-will-take-care-of-itself/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“In general, poor is polite and rich is rude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/in-general-poor-is-polite-and-rich-is-rude/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“Sarah drew a deep breath and released it slowly, waiting for her voice to steady before she spoke. “It’s a ve ry good story.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-dee/sarah-drew-a-deep-breath-and-released-it-slowly-waiting-for-her-voice/) [Bonnie Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-dee/) > [“The smell of the sweat is not sweet, but the fruit of the sweat is very sweet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/the-smell-of-the-sweat-is-not-sweet-but-the-fruit-of-the-sweat-is/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [If there's one thing I've always taken care of with my work, it's that it's never an advertisement for anything other than the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jr/if-there-s-one-thing-i-ve-always-taken-care-of-with-my-work-it-s-that/) JR > [I think if you can create a meaningful thing that is also an advertisement that's a pretty cool option for brands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-walters/i-think-if-you-can-create-a-meaningful-thing-that-is-also-an/) [Doug Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-walters/) > [“Don't compare the size of your roof with the size of the sky.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/don-t-compare-the-size-of-your-roof-with-the-size-of-the-sky/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Basically, art should remain something that is complex, that has many layers, so there's always a possibility to reconsider things and have a different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-henrot/basically-art-should-remain-something-that-is-complex-that-has-many/) [Camille Henrot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-henrot/) > [“Advertisement! A device for forcing the unwilling into line. Did it matter to a ground vehicle manufacturer whether a given individual felt an original…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/advertisement-a-device-for-forcing-the-unwilling-into-line-did-it/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [“All worries are less with wine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/all-worries-are-less-with-wine/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [The most excellent and divine counsel, the best and most profitable advertisement of all others, but the least practiced, is to study and learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-charron/the-most-excellent-and-divine-counsel-the-best-and-most-profitable/) [Pierre Charron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-charron/) > [I would rather die than see my face in a car advertisement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azzedine-alaia/i-would-rather-die-than-see-my-face-in-a-car-advertisement/) [Azzedine Alaia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azzedine-alaia/) > [“The mistakes of the world are warning message for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/the-mistakes-of-the-world-are-warning-message-for-you/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [advertisement ... has brought our disregard for truth into the open without even a figleaf to cover it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freya-stark/advertisement-has-brought-our-disregard-for-truth-into-the-open/) [Freya Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freya-stark/) > [“Connecting to the outernet was less of a shock this time, as the monitor gave him a sense of distance from it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-friedman/connecting-to-the-outernet-was-less-of-a-shock-this-time-as-the/) [C.S. Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-friedman/) Browse all 193 Advertisement quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A desirable advertisement will be reasonable, but never dull ... original, but never self-conscious ... imaginative, but never misleading.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fairfax M. 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