‘The David Engel Experience’ Archives
Reflections on “my 2nd go”
I just finished up posting the last of my 2010 - 2012 portfolio titled "my 2nd go." This was a cross-section of my work from 24 to 26 years old. It's been quite a journey over the last two years. Putting this portfolio together caused me re-live some the experiences that I had during this time. I found myself upset, happy, despondent and [...]
A theory on the commercial viability of creative works
Some people say, "You've got to be totally out of the box to do something that's successful." Others believe in doing something that people already know. Both sides have a point. For a creative work to be commercially successful, it should be unique. That uniqueness is represented by the Esoteric circle above; see how it's in left [...]
What is need score 0?
Need Score 0 is the place where the soul merges with the infinite. It's where there are no more needs, where all is complete. (more...)
Nail the first draft, you creative director… you
Creative people don't like being told what to do. They don't like their work criticized. They're typically iconoclasts, which is why they sought a career as a designer (copywriter, or whatever) in the first place. That said, it's still possible to nail the first draft without making them totally hate you. (more...)
2010
In early 2010, I wrote a blog post called 2010:A Renaissance in Persuasion. I announced that I was on a journey to find better ways of advertising. I wrote, "perhaps will be unlike anything we have called advertising before." That is exactly what happened with Company Data Trees. (more...)
Why do people keep logging into sites like Facebook?
Many people are charting their life experiences on websites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. (more...)
Reference Check Your College Study Group
When college programs rely heavily on group work, choosing a group can make or break the learning experience. Many students choose groups blindly, facing the nightmarish possibility of getting stuck with... slackers! If I were a professor, I'd announce on the first day of class that everyone will be working in groups... and they should pick [...]
Decision Dyad
David Engel and Greg Clowminzer use the dyad process to intimately define what every marketer is after--decision. David: Tell me what a decision is. Greg: A decision is a mental, strategic move, in order to avoid some future consequence. David: Thank you. Tell me what a decision is not. (more...)
Advertisers, Don’t Get Fenced Out
February 1, 2010. I woke up as my friend shouted, "Oh my God. They stole everything." (more...)
David Engel’s Self Interview
David interviews himself about creativity, form and function in advertising.David: So, what is an advertising inventor? Engel: It's my way of telling the world that I'm an advertising copywriter and inventor. Copywriters are known for creating beautiful, funny form. Inventors are fascinated with making things function better. My practice is to [...]