On Larry Bodine’s Professional Marketing Blog, there’s a post about what Mr. Bodine considers the best firm ad ever. I don’t know if it’s the best ever, but I’d agree with Larry: it is perfect in it’s strategy.

Here’s the ad: (I had to do a screenshot and crop it, as they only offer it as a PDF on the firm’s site)

Larry points out just why it is so great:

It is outstanding because it shows a picture of a client - not the office building, but the human being! Plus the client heads a $3.8 billion company that sells really expensive things. There he is — the president of a name brand company, saying he uses Thompson & Knight. And firm that Neiman Marcus has used the firm for 90 years! Now that’s a long-term relationship.

It doesn’t show any lawyers from the firm. It doesn’t show the firm’s office building. There are no courthouse columns, scales of justice or gavels. All these mistakes are omitted.

The one thing that struck me immediately is the fact that it shows the client, and that’s what potential clients are looking for. It shows industry experience, and that’s what potential clients are looking for. And if Nieman Marcus is willing to stand behind this firm, that says more about the firm than the firm can say about itself.

So the ad is great. But there’s one problem I found (and this could very well be a personal preference of mine). Their home page is basically all text.

When I first saw this ad on Mr. Bodine’s blog I thought: “Wow. This ad is great. It feels “alive”. I can’t wait to see their web site.”

I am not in the business of criticizing web sites of firms……at all. Firms want to be different, and they all have different reasons for their site’s design. And of course, web site design is almost entirely subjective.

So with that in mind, I am wondering: Should a firm’s site and their ads be completely different? Or should they have some consistency in their design themes?

I see a lot of firm ads. When I find one I really like, I immediately check out their web site. And without any evidence, I’d guess that 90% of the time, the ads and the sites look completely different.

I’m not saying that’s a good thing or a bad thing; I’m just saying that it’s a thing. There must be a reason for firms to keep ad design and site design separate. I just can’t think of it.

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