Do you remember this ad? A woman at a nice dinner with friends is about to take a bite of yummy spaghetti when…

…the spaghetti on her fork starts whipping her in the face before it gets to her mouth.

It’s a TV commercial for TUMS released in 2010.

I was in my invincible twenties at the time, so I didn’t really understand the premise. I probably didn’t even have Tums in my apartment.

But now, 15 years and a few too many heartburn-induced sleepless nights later, every time I take a bite of pasta or anything remotely spicy, I think of this exact scene.

A few things are noticeable about this ad and why it’s had such longevity:

1- It’s focused on depicting the pain point: that your favorite foods are hurting you

2- It’s creatively surprising: the re-embodiment of spaghetti as a sentient whip is clever, humorous, and hard to forget

3- It’s visual-first— none of the characters (nor the aggressive spaghetti) have any lines in the ad at all. The whole execution hinges on a novel visual sequence, closed simply with a voiced-over tagline.

Now, you likely won’t be making 30-second agency-style ads for your consulting business, but we can apply these principles to your visual assets, or ‘Intellectual Headshots’ you put out into the market.

1- Hook them in emotionally through the specific, visceral pain point

Even in a business context, every problem you seek to solve as a consultant is causing your gatekeeper some intimate, personal pain; that’s what to speak to.

2- Give them something novel to stop, notice, and recall later

An interesting visual metaphor, surprising format, or dose of well-toned humor all can stamp your POV in permanent ink in the back of their brain

3- Let the visual do the work

Wherever possible, keep text to a minimum. If you’re reading more than you’re feeling, there’s more distillation to do

An example? I’ve shared this one before, but it’s the client Headshot that continues to resonate, even beyond his target buyer.

It’s from my client Mark, a fractional general counsel, taking a jab at his own profession in a way that shows his clients, “ok, this guy gets it.”

Visceral pain point.

Clever novelty.

Visual-first.

How’s that for a sticky, conversation-starter?

💡

-Wes

P.S. Interested in attracting your ideal clients using crisp, punchy visuals?

Check out the visual explainer of my 'Intellectual Headshots' sprint for solo consultants, and book an exploratory call with me to see if it's the right fit.