AdCracker User Reviews

- AdCracker regularly collects feeback from users to make better products. We believe it is important to share that feedback with prospective buyers, which includes sharing what people like as well as what needs improving.

- One of the reviews is by Steve McNamara, the creator or AdCracker CD, who discusses how he used the product to train several creative teams.

- AdCracker has earned 4 star MERLOT review from the organization on Multimedia Educational Resources for Learning and Online Teaching. > Get .pdf MERLOT review.

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"In my line of work the same problems come up all the time. It starts with terrible brief. As a result, creative takes too long and becomes too expensive.

So one reason I love AdCracker is that it shows anyone (client or agency) how to write a brief, how to handle positioning and strategy, and how to get clever insights into consumer behaviour.

But best of all it showcases great ads, and tells you why they work.

Every agency, and every marketing department should have one, and make it compulsory viewing. In my humble opinion."

Gillian Rightford,
Managing Director, AdTherapy - On a mission to rid the world of mediocre advertising.

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"What I like about the CDs is that they work. We use the CDs in workshops to train our creatives and some of the suits. We have seen a big improvement in big ideas, and I've learned a few new tricks myself.

The overall presentation could improve, though I love the simplicity of your design. Keep it up guys, you're after something big. AdCracker CD in particular could be the next Big Thing on creativity training. All my creatives are using it now, including myself."

Arturo Monroy
Creative Director, Los Angeles, CA

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"I have read lots of books on all aspects of advertising and marketing communications but I have found AdCracker CD the jewel in our extensive agency library.

AdCracker CD has become an indispensable tool. It gives our people creative fundamentals as well as grounded, yet simple approaches to positioning and branding. The IdeaMachine, the brainstorming games, classic and contemporary advertising techniques - all this stuff is really working and delivering results. Thanks again!"

N. Nedelchev, Managing Director, Publicis / MARC Advertising.

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"AdCracker CD is a very helpful tool for creating ad concepts and idea building. I and some of my staff have found it fun and entertaining, as well as useful."

Robert Dixon
Charter Media

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"I like the creativity games since I lecture young people in communications and it has made this more fun and interactive."

Alistair Audsley
Solus

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"The video clips and the interactive creative exercises are great. I find the navigation a little tricky and think this could be improved. Overall, money well spent."

Mike Said
brandStrategy

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"AdCracker CD is a robust assistant to the creative process, a great source of information and inspiration."

Rew Shearer
The Radio Network (NZ) Ltd

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"The quick brief & creative brief are really good. The ad planning section is excellent when working with new clients especially the "think of your brand as a person" bit...

Very comprehensive, good value, lots of info and a clear, no nonsense approach."

Kirsta Docherty
Evolution Integrated Marketing

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"We've utilized the creative brainstorming ideas quite a bit so far. We also like the way you've created Briefs that are simple and make sense.

It was a good buy for us and we will use it for years to come I'm sure."

Brian Lillie
eCreative Group, Inc.

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"AdCracker CD isn't the only way, but it has become the best way my creative teams get ad, promo, and even outside the box marketing ideas."

Paul Von Kutter,
Circular Systems, Worldwide.

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"Being an Account Manager, each topic in AdCracker is of great interest to me, but I use the Advanced Brief the most. The Sample Television Commercials are really cool. They really help me understand the ideas.

AdCracker is a wonderful tool that every Advertising agency should posses. It enhances directly the efficiency of an individual at work. AdCracker has opened new dimensions on advertising itself. Personally it has helped me to improve my brief writing ability. So thanks to my Boss, and AdCracker of course!"

Joseph Julian
Excellent '2' Publicities

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"I love it and use it the Principles of Creative Advertising college course I teach."

Gail McDaniel,
Indiana University

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"The CD is entertaining, and I often use it to get the creative juices flowing. Overall: awesome!"

Kent Jesse, PC Credit Union

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"Great examples for inspiration. Good source for reference."

Martine Kerr
Leading Concepts

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"The examples of TV ads are really good. The click to "next" and the links make navigation easy. It is a great tool, it has helped me understand and create much better advertising concepts."

David Mulobole
DFCU Bank

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"I think the exercises are pretty useful - I've started brainstorming meetings with an exercise to get everyone warmed up. I think you offer a great product - plenty of content without having to fork out too much money."

Brad Squires
Bold Type Design

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"What I like is the use of current ad examples. The multiple ideation processes for headlines (I use them frequently with students)"

Dan Petek
Washington State University
Edward R. Murrow School of Communication

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"For information and idea generation, AdCracker CD is a big help in generating new ideas."

Kurt Frees
KRF Enterprises

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"Your CD is a brilliant working tool for anyone who creates or teaches persuasive communications. Ideas are important, and that's where AdCracker CD kicks ass!"

Rob Atkinson
Atkinson Design / College Instructor

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"It reminds you to do the things you always do - a discipline to help free the mind's thinking. When you have a "block" it helps unblock! I like it. I use it. It works with me!"

David Ernst,
Copperfield - McCann Advertising

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"The Creative tools and exercises - AdCracker is a great resource. I find it useful when my head is stuck in that evil state creatives sometimes encounter: emptiness. I haven't used this years' as much as the previous edition, which probably means what was on there has stuck!"

Richard Hayter,
Teamspirit Advertising

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"There's a plethora of creative ideas included on the CD. It is very informative. Going through the CD can get your creative juices flowing."

Nathalie Chinje,
UPbeat Marketing

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"The whole thing is cool. From the step by step process to the real life ads for inspiration. I dig it. A must have for any art department."

Terri Lloyd
Terri Lloyd Company

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"I put two creative teams, a designer and our traffic manager through the ProSkills workshops. We set aside two hours every Wednesday from 11:30 to 1:30. We did the assignments during the first hour, then we shared the work with the team.

It was a lot of fun, seriously. And everyone from the President to the marcom managers noticed a huge leap in the quality of creative ... as well as the productivity of the creative group."

Steve McNamara, Creative Director,
Capital One, USA

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"How ProSkills changed my life ...

1) Now I apply a more critical eye to pesky creative briefs. On several projects, this saved me some time -- as an example, a creative brief that was missing so many vital details that I had to get clarification. And when I did, it resulted in stronger creative. Produced faster.

In section 1 of ProSkills, we went inside the creative brief in great detail -- and learned how it must paint a picture of the project so detailed that we could ostensibly execute the brief with it alone, even without a kick-off meeting.

2) Generate ideas. Even before we reached the AdCreative section I visited the IdeaMachine to get help with generating lots of ideas for new projects. This really helped -- when coming up with concepts for an Intranet promotion campaign, I used these techniques to get a little "jiggy" (creative) with concepts, eventually coming up with the what turned out to be an award winning theme for the campaign.

Without having a background in advertising, the ProSkills course has been very helpful in getting me up to speed in the "whys" "whats" and "hows" of the business, and I'm applying parts of this knowledge daily."

Stacy Hall, Graphic Designer,
San Diego, California