--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because I'm in advertising, not…" description: "\"Because I'm in advertising, not electricity!\" — Jerry Della Femina" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/jerry-della-femina-28500_advertising_because-i-m-in-advertising-not-electrici_3223154.jpg" --- # Because I'm in advertising, not electricity! ![“Because I'm in advertising, not electricity!” quote by Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/jerry-della-femina-28500_advertising_because-i-m-in-advertising-not-electrici_3223154.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/jerry-della-femina-28500_advertising_because-i-m-in-advertising-not-electrici_3223154.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/jerry-della-femina-28500_advertising_because-i-m-in-advertising-not-electrici_3223154.jpg) > “Because I'm in advertising, not electricity!” [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He distinguishes his creative work from literal electricity, emphasizing metaphorical energy. **In simple terms:** Advertising is about ideas, not actual power. Key Takeaway Focus on creative spark, not literal energy. Themes creativity identity industry humor Mood witty light‑hearted Type humorous motivational When to use this quote - ad agency meetings - creative brainstorming - career counseling Key Concepts metaphor branding professional pride Questions to Reflect On - What does “electricity” symbolize for you? - How do you balance creativity with technical constraints? A Different Perspective Metaphor may obscure practical challenges in the field. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advertising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) [Electricity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/electricity/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) ## Related quotes > [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Traditional companies have been subject to licensing for many years. Attention utilities should be required to obey limits on data extraction and message amplification…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tristan-harris/traditional-companies-have-been-subject-to-licensing-for-many-years/) [Tristan Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tristan-harris/) > [Advertising is the life blood of the digital economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-stringer/advertising-is-the-life-blood-of-the-digital-economy/) Nick Stringer > [The essence of good advertising is not to inspire hope, but to create greed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-adams/the-essence-of-good-advertising-is-not-to-inspire-hope-but-to-create/) [Charles Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-adams/) > [Social media is your opportunity to reach a massive number of people with transparency, honesty, and integrity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/social-media-is-your-opportunity-to-reach-a-massive-number-of-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. Unless your advertising contains a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/it-takes-a-big-idea-to-attract-the-attention-of-consumers-and-get/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [Advertising becomes a dialogue that becomes an invitation to a relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-wunderman/advertising-becomes-a-dialogue-that-becomes-an-invitation-to-a/) [Lester Wunderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-wunderman/) > [Branding Through Customer Service Over the years, the number one driver of our growth at Zappos has been repeat customers and word of mouth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/branding-through-customer-service-over-the-years-the-number-one/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [I have learned that trying to guess what the boss or the client wants is the most debilitating of all influences in the creation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/i-have-learned-that-trying-to-guess-what-the-boss-or-the-client-wants/) [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) > [Forget words like 'hard sell' and 'soft sell.' That will only confuse you. Just be sure your advertising is saying something with substance, something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/forget-words-like-hard-sell-and-soft-sell-that-will-only-confuse-you/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Never run advertising until the major publicity possibilities have been exploited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-ries/never-run-advertising-until-the-major-publicity-possibilities-have/) [Al Ries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-ries/) > [We have the capital, the resources, and the technology that we need to build a mobile advertising platform across the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-tewari/we-have-the-capital-the-resources-and-the-technology-that-we-need-to/) [Naveen Tewari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-tewari/) > [Advertising justifies its existence when used in the public interest-it is much too powerful a tool to use solely for commercial purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gossage/advertising-justifies-its-existence-when-used-in-the-public-interest/) [Howard Gossage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gossage/) > [Many manufacturers secretly question whether advertising really sells their product, but are vaguely afraid that their competitors might steal a march on them if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/many-manufacturers-secretly-question-whether-advertising-really-sells/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) ## More by Jerry Della Femina > [“There will always be nervousness wherever big money is at stake. And above everything else, Madison Avenue is big money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/there-will-always-be-nervousness-wherever-big-money-is-at-stake-and/) [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) > [I'm hard-nosed about luck. I think it sucks. Yeah, if you spend seven years looking for a job as a copywriter, and then one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/i-m-hard-nosed-about-luck-i-think-it-sucks-yeah-if-you-spend-seven/) [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) > [The Creative Revolution is over. Everybody is justholding onto their jobs and no one is ever going to say toa client... ‘Buy this or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/the-creative-revolution-is-over-everybody-is-justholding-onto-their/) [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) > [It goes back to all of us wanting to be in Hollywood. We're all dying to win an Oscar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/it-goes-back-to-all-of-us-wanting-to-be-in-hollywood-we-re-all-dying/) [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) > [Marketers are making retirement respectable. Instead of being the beginning of the end, it sounds like Nirvana-do what you want without any responsibilities. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/marketers-are-making-retirement-respectable-instead-of-being-the/) [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) > [I honestly believe that advertising is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/i-honestly-believe-that-advertising-is-the-most-fun-you-can-have-with/) [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) > [A lot of its readers are of an age where they forget to cancel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/a-lot-of-its-readers-are-of-an-age-where-they-forget-to-cancel/) [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) > [I'm hard-nosed about luck...If you're persistent in trying and doing and working, you almost always make your own fortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/i-m-hard-nosed-about-luck-if-you-re-persistent-in-trying-and-doing/) [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) > [Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half. Advertising is the most fun you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/half-the-money-i-spend-on-advertising-is-wasted-the-trouble-is-i-don/) [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) > [Nothing kills a bad product faster than good advertising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/nothing-kills-a-bad-product-faster-than-good-advertising/) [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) > [“A guy's reputation is the first thing you hear about”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/a-guy-s-reputation-is-the-first-thing-you-hear-about/) [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) > [I learned much from my father just by watching his example. If I saw him hold a door open for someone, I learned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/i-learned-much-from-my-father-just-by-watching-his-example-if-i-saw/) [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) > [There is a great deal of advertising that is much better than the product. When that happens, all that the good advertising will do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/there-is-a-great-deal-of-advertising-that-is-much-better-than-the/) [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) > [That's great advertising when you can turn Chicago into a city you'd want to spend more than three hours in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/that-s-great-advertising-when-you-can-turn-chicago-into-a-city-you-d/) [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) > [From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/from-those-wonderful-folks-who-gave-you-pearl-harbor/) [Jerry Della Femina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) [Explore all 19 Jerry Della Femina quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/) ## More Advertising quotes > [I saw this anti-drug commercial that showed a kid smoking pot in his dad's room with his friend. This kid finds a gun, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-saw-this-anti-drug-commercial-that-showed-a-kid-smoking-pot-in-his/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Advertising justifies its existence when used in the public interest-it is much too powerful a tool to use solely for commercial purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gossage/advertising-justifies-its-existence-when-used-in-the-public-interest/) [Howard Gossage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gossage/) > [“Don't wait, just sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/don-t-wait-just-sweat/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [We have the capital, the resources, and the technology that we need to build a mobile advertising platform across the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-tewari/we-have-the-capital-the-resources-and-the-technology-that-we-need-to/) [Naveen Tewari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-tewari/) > [“Never run advertising until the major publicity possibilities have been exploited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-ries/never-run-advertising-until-the-major-publicity-possibilities-have/) [Al Ries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-ries/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [I like Valentine's Day. The trouble is the florists and the candy-makers and the card people are all advertising so much, you don't dare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/i-like-valentine-s-day-the-trouble-is-the-florists-and-the-candy/) [Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/) > [I happened to be spotted by a modeling agent who offered me a part-time job at 16. Everything happened very quickly after that -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-happened-to-be-spotted-by-a-modeling-agent-who-offered-me-a-part/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [They say that Madison Avenue will only pay high dollars in advertising if they get the 18-35 age range.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-gless/they-say-that-madison-avenue-will-only-pay-high-dollars-in/) [Sharon Gless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-gless/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I've driven people mad on films that I've made - I want more takes; I want to try new lines. Then I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/i-ve-driven-people-mad-on-films-that-i-ve-made-i-want-more-takes-i/) [Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/) > [This hype word bothers me though It always sounds like an accusation, what does it mean, advertising, column inches in the press? Bands themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-johnson/this-hype-word-bothers-me-though-it-always-sounds-like-an-accusation/) [Holly Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-johnson/) > [I'm supposed to be taking time off. But I'm still writing and I have this Gap advert lined up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-stone/i-m-supposed-to-be-taking-time-off-but-i-m-still-writing-and-i-have/) [Joss Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-stone/) > [Any seeming deception in a statement is costly, not only in the expense of the advertising but in the detrimental effect produced upon the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/any-seeming-deception-in-a-statement-is-costly-not-only-in-the/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) [Browse all 1,942 Advertising quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Because I'm in advertising, not electricity!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jerry Della Femina" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/because-i-m-in-advertising-not-electricity/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advertising" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/because-i-m-in-advertising-not-electricity/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/jerry-della-femina-28500_advertising_because-i-m-in-advertising-not-electrici_3223154.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/jerry-della-femina-28500_advertising_because-i-m-in-advertising-not-electrici_3223154.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/jerry-della-femina-28500_advertising_because-i-m-in-advertising-not-electrici_3223154.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Because I'm in advertising, not electricity!” — Jerry Della Femina", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jerry Della Femina", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-della-femina/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Because I'm in advertising, not electricity!", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/because-i-m-in-advertising-not-electricity/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-della-femina/because-i-m-in-advertising-not-electricity/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```