HACKING ADVERTISING
How We Learned to Make Ads Without the Agency (and You Can Too)
The agency model was built in the Mad Men era and hasn't changed since. Jon Sneider was "the client" at Microsoft, L.L.Bean and Redfin, then built a shop that makes the same work at a quarter of the cost and four times the speed. This is how.
BONUS · THE FIVE MAGIC METRICS SYSTEM
Every copy comes with the Five Magic Metrics system: the five numbers every ad has to hit, with the scorecard we use at Wild Gravity to judge a spot before it airs.
WHAT'S INSIDE
Bare-knuckled storytelling from twenty-five years on both sides of the table, and the system that came out of it. Real campaigns, real budgets, and the exact moment the old model stopped making sense.
- Why the agency model costs four times what the work is worth. Brands hire an agency, the agency hires a production company, the production company hires post. Everyone takes a cut. Here's where the money goes.
- Creative Production. Creative, production and post under one roof, built from scratch. How a six-person shop delivered 125 videos to five markets in six weeks.
- The Five Magic Metrics. Breakthrough, brand recall, message recall, likeability, purchase intent. Score any ad in five minutes, including the ones on your air right now.
- How to find a hybrid shop, or bring the work in-house. What to ask, what to pay, and the mistakes that cost the most.
THE REVIEWS ARE IN
CEOs, CMOs, founders and agency leaders on Hacking Advertising.
"Move over Tim Ferriss, Jon Sneider has created the ultimate hack to the bloated traditional agency model."
Marc OshimaCMO and Co-Founder, AeroFarms"You can spend the next 20 years going through the school of hard knocks that is marketing leadership, or just cut to the chase and buy Jon Sneider's exceptional book."
Richard SternCEO, TuneIn"Jon Sneider shares practical solutions for enhancing efficiency and creativity within existing frameworks. It's a thought-provoking read for anyone in marketing or agency leadership."
Rob ReillyGlobal Chief Creative Officer, WPP"Jon Sneider has been improving the way advertising is made for decades, always leveraging the latest technology innovations. This book is great advice for all of us who want advertising to stay ahead of the next wave of innovation."
David W. KennyExecutive Chairman, Nielsen"A manifesto that redefines what's possible in advertising. It's a crash course in navigating, innovating, and thriving in modern advertising."
John DoughertyCMO, Brighton Jones"A groundbreaking guide that challenges the traditional advertising model. A must-read for anyone looking to revolutionize their marketing approach and achieve better results through efficiency and effectiveness."
Aaron StroutCMO, Real Chemistry"In Hacking Advertising, Jon Sneider details how marketers can save millions with a straight-to-production approach, and how agencies and production companies can adapt to this new world."
Luke SullivanAuthor, Hey Whipple, Squeeze This"More than just a guide, Hacking Advertising is a call to arms for marketers to reclaim control of their creative processes. It's a book that will leave you inspired, empowered, and ready to create."
Scott EriksonCEO, Manufaktur Marketing · CMO, Picnic"Both a powerful critique of the ad industry and a call to action."
Jason SzepInternational Political Investigations Editor, Reuters"More than a book, it's a game plan for overhauling the status quo. If you're tired of bloated processes and big agencies charging huge fees, this book will change your perspective for good."
Paul CampbellCEO and Founder, Technology Companies"A masterclass in challenging the status quo. It's a must-read for anyone who cares about great advertising."
Tami RellerTechnology and Healthcare Executive, Board Director
JON SNEIDER
Raised in Boston, Jon began his marketing career selling Wave Radios for Bose over the phone, then managed a $20-million sales team while earning his MBA at night. At Digitas he ran digital accounts for GM and Microsoft. He revamped fidelity.com at Fidelity Investments, moved to Mullen, then went client-side: directing campaigns at L.L.Bean and Microsoft and launching Redfin's first broadcast campaign.
He was "the client" at three brands, watched the same expensive, hand-off-heavy model follow him to each one, and in 2017 founded Wild Gravity to prove there was a better way. The shop launched with a deck and no capital. Its first job was 125 Amazon Fire TV videos in six weeks.
READ IT. THEN PICK YOUR NEXT MOVE.
The book is the argument. These are the two places it leads.
WILD GRAVITY
The creative production company from the book. Creative, production and post under one roof in Seattle, for Amazon, Microsoft, Nintendo and LEGO, and for companies a hundredth their size.
LAUNCH YOUR PROJECT
HACKING ADVERTISING LIVE
One evening in the Wild Gravity studio. The Five Magic Metrics, the Steal-Like-an-Artist Rapid Concepting Method, and your own path to getting an ad on streaming TV. Get on the list for the next workshop.
SAVE ME A SEAT