The Power of Suggestion: David Abbott and The Economist

During the late 80s, 90s and early 00s, The Economist ran a long series of what would later become iconic advertising. They were smart, witty and extremely confident. And basically anyone in the advertising, marketing or copywriting space will recognise them. Or should…

At first glance, today’s ad looks a lot like the rest of them. Red background, white copy, a simple headline. But, like a lot of great advertising, there’s a lot of psychology packed into it. 

Today we’ll unpack it.

Credits

Copywriter: David Abbott | Art Director: Ron Brown | Agency: Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO | Client: The Economist | Year: 1991

The big idea

All great campaigns start with a clear idea, often connecting a core human need (e.g. food, safety, status) with the product or service. ‘Brandvertising’ campaigns, then, reinforce said idea via different perspectives over a prolonged period of time.

And the idea here is simple: People at the top read The Economist. 

In other words, buying (and reading) The Economist shows off your intelligence and thus success. In other, other words, The Economist = status. And you can pick almost any ad of theirs in this era, and it’ll reinforce it.

I want you to pay special attention to the fact that they rarely speak about their journalism and what you actually get. The only exception would be unless it was twisted into some witty humour like the “Jordan” ad. Instead, this ad and entire campaign reframes the magazine into a sort of badge of honour – if you read The Economist, you belong to the small group of people who are ”at the top”. 

Note how the “top” is also subjective to the reader. Your idea of what the “top” looks like is different to mine. And this is important. Because not only is it a clever way to appeal to the masses… but it invites the reader to participate in the ad and colour in the outcome themself. 

Of course, Abbott never claims the reader is there. He just describes the people who read the magazine that way – and that maybe reading the magazine is what put them there. The power of suggestion is not to be overlooked, and Abbott uses it in more than one way. 

You might recognise this technique…

Flattery is a well-documented persuasion technique. Experiments consistently show that praise – honest or not – improves attitudes toward a brand or salesperson. That even includes when the recipient recognises it as strategic. 

The reason is pretty straightforward too: People like hearing good things about themselves.

And it’s this desire that helps the suggestion of flattery feel like flattery.

“How does the ad flatter?”, you ask…

Well, it lies inside suggestion. 

Simply, if the line – and subjective loneliness – resonate with you, you must be someone who understands what it means to be “at the top”. You draw the conclusion yourself, and the praise feels less like marketing and more like an observation of your profession. 

Had Abbott been direct with the praise, it’d look and feel a bit cringey. But wrapped inside humour and suggestion, it feels far more classy.

The Prestige Bias

We, humans, also have a tendency to copy and mimic successful people. To be like Mike. And through the rungs of society, ‘high-achieving’ traits get passed down. Psychologists call this “Prestige Bias”. Throughout history, high-status individuals often had access to useful knowledge. Imitating them was an efficient way to acquire it, or at least look like you’ve have. 

The same instincts persist today. 

The ad frames Economist readers as the people “at the top”. Once that association is made and believed, which is now more likely since you’ve ‘accepted’ the flattery, the behaviour (i.e., reading the magazine) becomes something worth copying.

So, Abbott doesn’t need to argue that the magazine will make you successful. He simply needs to suggest it and let your mind calculate the rest. 

Easy come, not-so-easy go

Clichés are a touchy topic in copywriting. They’re seen as a lazy way out. And they are… if you don’t play with them. On the one hand, they’re phrases we all know and recognise, meaning there’s no neuro-resistance to reading them. And this is great for transporting your message into your memory. But on the other hand… they’re easily forgotten. 

So you need to do something with the cliché. Make it yours. Reframe the meaning, adjust the word order, rhyme it, turn it into a visual metaphor, or do as Abbott does and give it a punchline.

His small twist does a few interesting things:

1. Adds a little humour. Great for memorability and brand associations. 
2. In doing so, he also softens the ‘arrogance’ of the ad, disguising a bold claim so the reader is more likely to accept it.
3. Breaks a pattern. The cliché is different now. Helps to keep attention and stick in mind.

If this ad were longer, I think leading with a cliché would be a risk. Bigger ads are off-putting. And a widely recognised line would not be a good enough hook. But because this ad is simple, and ‘accessible’ if you will, it works. 

The Pratfall Effect

It’s a little sneaky, but I think there’s a whiff of The Pratfall Effect involved here, too. If that term’s new, it’s where making a mistake, or admitting a flaw, can help humanise a message and make it more believable. An ad like Avis’ No.2 is a wonderful example of it – “We’re not the best, so we care more”, or even Guinness’ “Good things come to those who wait” – it takes longer to pour, but it’s worth it.

Here, it’s not so overt. But I think it still has the same effect. Abbott admits it’s lonely at the top (which is a nice emotional trigger), and humanises the idea of success. Ultimately, this helps the reader believe the suggestive claim that those at the top do, in fact, read The Economist.

What you can take from this ad

The ad works because it uses familiar psychological tendencies. For example, people like to see themselves as successful and intelligent. They like to be told they are, too. They also imitate high-status individuals, so they can get (closer) to the top. 

I think what makes Abbott such a good copywriter here is that he activates all these attributes without ever stating them directly. Instead, he invites you to close the gap yourself. And if you’re the sort of person who can complete the message, perhaps you belong at the top too. 

Action points

1. Sell identity. The ad doesn’t talk about the magazine itself; instead it sells what reading it says about you. So, look for ways your product can signal something about the buyer’s identity, values or status.
2. Flatter the reader. And rather than doing it directly, suggest it so they arrive at the compliment themselves. A little bit of thinking is a good thing and helps the message stick.
3. Associate your product with high-status behaviour. The ad implies that the people at the “top” read The Economist. This activates prestige bias. If you can credibly position your product as something respected people use, the behaviour becomes desirable to copy.
4. Turn an old cliché into a new idea. Start with a phrase everyone already knows, then play with it. 
5. Acknowledge a downside to increase believability. Success can be lonely. This small admission makes the message feel more honest – and the benefit more believable. 
6. Suggest the benefit rather than stating it outright. Suggestion invites the reader to complete the ad themselves, making claims more believable and sticky.

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