I bought the paper for the news, but I stayed for the ads.
I sat in my backyard in Potomac this morning, reading the Washington Post while actual snow fell around me. It was one of those quiet, perfect Saturday mornings.
Then I turned the page and saw an ad that stopped me cold.
It was for the new Swatch Mission to Earthphase. The headline? "Available worldwide only when it’s snowing in Switzerland."
I looked at the ad. I looked at the snow in my backyard. I felt a connection to a place 4,000 miles away. That is the power of a great print ad. It commands your full attention in a way a banner ad never could.
The Art of the Magazine Ad
I ended up putting the newspaper down and picking up the WSJ Magazine. If the newspaper is for news, this magazine is an art gallery. I spent twenty minutes just staring at the watch advertisements.
- Vacheron Constantin reminding us they are "One of Not Many."
- Jaeger-LeCoultre showing off the mechanical beauty of the Reverso.
- Bulgari and Piaget selling pure jewelry.
- Omega flashing back to 1965.
It felt like voyeurism. I am not the target buyer for a $50,000 Vacheron, but for a few minutes, I was living in that world. I was learning the language of the "rich and famous."
The Marketer's Lesson
We obsess over digital targeting, but we forget the power of the physical. A niche print magazine or a high-quality direct mail piece feels expensive. It feels permanent. It signals that the brand has money and taste.
Digital ads are interruptions. Print ads are destinations.
The Missing King
One thing stood out to me, though. In this entire sea of luxury, one King was missing: Rolex.
My Indian friends often say, "If you made it, you buy a Rolex." It is the standard. It is the currency of success. Rolex doesn't need to shout in a magazine spread because they have already won the war for our minds.
But for everyone else? You have to be creative. You have to wait for snow in Switzerland.