Advertising mug

The problem with advertising is that the mug wins. Great for the seller, not great for the buyer.

If webpage real estate is auctioned, you paid the most, so you show up. Everyone else stopped bidding, which is why you won.

The main solution to that problem is to use advertising as kindling, not the fire.

If you make things people actually love, and would look forward to seeing more of, there’s a good chance they’ll tell people for free. The auction got it in front of the first person who, in turn, got it in front of the second person.

If you don’t make things people actually love — you’re just there to push product and that’s that — there’s a good chance you’ll have to be a mug for a very long time.