This is one of my favorite ads. For years, we ran it in the November edition of "The Advisor," the monthly journal of the Colorado Human Resource Association. The overarching message was, "Season's Blessings from Your Friends at CareerLab" [in green text].
We merged a secondary message [in black text], for example, these words quoted by Mother Theresa. We focused our holiday promotions on the spirit of the season, not on hyping our goods and services. This reinforced our brand: "We are a small, personal firm that cares."™
People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
LOVE THEM ANYWAY
SEASON'S
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
DO GOOD ANYWAY
BLESSINGS
If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
SUCCEED ANYWAY
FROM
The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow.
DO GOOD ANYWAY
YOUR
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
BE HONEST AND FRANK ANYWAY
FRIENDS
What you spent years building may be destroyed overnight.
BUILD ANYWAY
AT
People really need help but may attack you if you help them.
HELP PEOPLE ANYWAY
CAREERLAB.
Give the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU'VE GOT ANYWAY.
From a sign at Shishu Bhavan, the children's home in Calcutta.
Excerpted from "A Simple Path," by Mother Teresa, Page 185.