Think about you’re the advertising director of Ram Vehicles. You’ve simply sat down to listen to a pitch out of your big-time promoting company on the artistic idea in your Tremendous Bowl advert.”We are not going to do just another truck commercial with the usual imagery and messaging,” says the Company’s Inventive Director. “We are going to do something much bigger, something that touches the hearts and minds of truck buyers.”You have an interest, even somewhat excited. This could possibly be one thing that elevates your model. A recreation changer. “Our theme,” says the Inventive Director, “is service to others.”That would work, you assume. Vehicles are, in any case, a service automobile. There’s a connection.After which comes the massive reveal. “The sound track for this commercial will not be provided by a male with the usual deep-throated, whisky-soaked voice,” says the Inventive Director. “No, no. We are going to go with a man who spoke of service to others like no other — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.Months later the commercial is ready for viewing. “It’s even higher than we thought,” says the Creative Director. The lights go down and the commercial begins. You hear the soaring words of Dr. King while watching slice of life images of people in the service of others. Mixed in are some images of people next to a Ram Truck and, at a high point, there is the usual beauty shot of a Ram Truck. The commercial wraps with a black screen showing a single line of text, “Constructed to serve” and the Ram Truck logo.The lights come up. What do you do?Do you trust the instincts of your advertising agency? After all, they are the pros. Or do you trust your gut?Here’s the answer. Boil down the commercial to the core concept. Keep it short. Not more than 10 words. Forget about everything else. Do not consider the wonderful editing, the perfect casting, the spirit raising music. That is all secondary.I would compress the Ram Truck commercial into these nine words: Use Dr. Martin Luther King to sell Ram trucks.Now what do you think? My reaction would be swift and clear: not a chance. For every person who might buy the concept, there will be many more who will react negatively. At best, they will see the use of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s soaring oratory as inappropriate. At worst, they will be enraged by the attempt to make the civil right’s leader a shill for Ram trucks.Use the same thinking the next time someone brings you a great advertising idea for your small business. Don’t be enticed by the prospect to be on the radio or TV for the first time. Pay no attention to all the bells and whistles as they just might be little more than “lipstick on a pig”.Focus in on the core idea. Write it down on an empty sheet of paper, the place the idea will rise or fall by itself deserves. After which belief our intestine.See the precise Ram Truck business and make your personal judgement.