CLIENT NEWS “A Little Me Time” Ad David Ligon, Creative Principal, Sacramento April 26, 2016 When I first launched my agency, my very first client was Ettore’s Restaurant and European Bakery. I signed them on June 1, 2001 for public relations. But as time went by, I became a more integral part of their marketing efforts, and was soon involved in more than just PR, including advertising. In the fall of that year, Ettore Ravazzolo (owner) phoned to ask me to create an ad that showed Ettore’s was a comfortable place to go for a meal and take a break from it all. The terrorists’ attacks of 9/11 were still fresh in everyone’s mind and the country had not gone back to normalcy yet. Before my arrival, Ettore’s ads were quite different. Consisting mostly of clip art and encouraging people to come for the $9.95 chicken dinner. Now of course, I’m not a big fan of that type of advertising (unless you are specifically a chicken place). Even though there was no budget (other than my monthly retainer), I wanted to create something that conveyed what Ettore wanted, while being a step up from the previous “clip art” ads; which meant a fun headline and using a photo. But also doing something that wasn’t clichéd and with that added hint of humor I love so much. And finally, to start branding Ettore’s as both a restaurant and bakery with incredible food. All this with virtually no extra money. “The terrorists’ attacks of 9/11 were still fresh in everyone’s mind and the country had not gone back to normalcy yet.” Ettore’s “A...
