<<An Interview with John Noble(1)
from "Great American Copywriter Vol.2" Tadahisa Nishio, published in March 10, 1971
Mr. John Noble
Vice-President, Copy supervisor DDB Inc.
chuukyuu After talking over the VW account, did you have a chance to visit the VW plant in West Germany to gather some meterial helpful to your creativity? If so, what did you think of it?
Noble Yes, that we the first thing on the schedule for me. And I was very impressed. I think I was doubly impressed because when I was working in Detroit, I saw how American cars wrer made. There is no comparison. I saw a lot more tender-loving cars go into the making of the Volkswagen. And I've said just that many times and many ways in many ads.
chuukyuu Incidently, did you real all the VW ads prior to you job? In fact, how many did you read?
Noble I read hem all.You have to. If you don't, invariably you'll do a terrific ads, wonder why it wasn't done before, and them find that in fact, it was done before.
Television was easier for me in that respect because when I got on the account, VW wasn't doing too much TV. Today, it takes up more than half our budget. I think it's the one part of the account I'm proudest of because we've gotten poeple to love us just as much on television as they loved us in print. I think it's nice to be loved, don't you？
chuukyuu Did you have any option with respect to the format of the VW ads? Did you want to change the format?
Noble Yes, I guess I had an option and chose not to take it, When you constantly starch No.1 in magazineges in just about ftery category.
chuukyuu How about the style?
Noble style?
Chuukyuu Yes, the style of the words?
Noble The style is one person talking to another person. When I sit down to write an ad. I don't think about the millions of readers out there. I think of myself talking to my neighbor. I'm writing to a human being not a thing. Volkswage ads are very warm because I believe most people are very warm. I hate those damnads that just talk about us as the company and forget about me the reader.
