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# How to develop good ad taste
- URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-develop-good-ad-taste/
- Published: 2026-02-28T03:57:15.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-06T15:18:26.000Z
- Description: In the AI age, good taste is more important than great prompts. Here's how to develop yours. Bonus: my fav ads.
- Author: Shlomo Genchin
- Tags: Career

##   
tl;dr

Good taste is more important than great prompts. ’Cause even if you’re an AI prodigy, GPT will still always generate a lot of fluff. And if you can’t distinguish between trash and treasure, you’re lost.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379155005-fPGWBYqpGyVRHoNT3L2kq5.webp)

The best way to develop taste is by actively viewing great ads. Here’s how:

## 1\. Find great work

If you ask David Ogilvy, a great ad must tick off five boxes:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379155285-dgqzGZZJYeMKD6ExL4Mn2C.jpeg)

### In my opinion, these 20 are truly great:

[​Apple // Think Different​](https://youtu.be/GEPhLqwKo6g?si=1U3KIkJKH1n088MV&ref=unbore.com)

[​Burger King // Moldy Whopper​](https://youtu.be/3LaonOY16X4?si=59JbYA26p%5F3vE1q8&ref=unbore.com)

[​Cadbury // Gorilla​](https://youtu.be/TnzFRV1LwIo?si=EJeA79OF5pt3ouV-&ref=unbore.com)

[​CANAL + // The Bear​](https://youtu.be/3393O1uD%5Fw8?si=bBKbYzzau1-NbukA&ref=unbore.com)

[​Dove // Real Beauty Sketches​](https://youtu.be/XpaOjMXyJGk?si=FeUY8oJTbIiP4ETB&ref=unbore.com)

[​ESPN // Born Into It​](https://youtu.be/0ms%5Fb%5FNH3P4?si=Y0gw-W86S54b%5Fdc1&ref=unbore.com)

[​Google // Parisian Love​](https://youtu.be/nnsSUqgkDwU?si=EeNMiFZNbCEJWXGz&ref=unbore.com)

[​FedEx​](https://youtu.be/NeK5ZjtpO-M?si=HLcfeOVsGnBI8akT&ref=unbore.com)[​ // Fast Talker​](https://youtu.be/NeK5ZjtpO-M?si=HLcfeOVsGnBI8akT&ref=unbore.com)

[​Leica // 100​](https://vimeo.com/107689519?ref=unbore.com)

[​Mercedes Benz // The Journey​](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V2vHSuUJog&ab%5Fchannel=AndreasBruns&ref=unbore.com)

[​Monster // When I Grow Up​](https://youtu.be/myG8hq1Mk00?si=2xs7VF-zgi8IKqWL&ref=unbore.com)

[​Old Spice // The Man Your Man Could Smell Like​](https://youtu.be/owGykVbfgUE?si=%5F1hx%5FQ2IJRBCH1w5&ref=unbore.com)

[​Sandy Hook Promise // Back to School Essentials​](https://biancaguimaraesportfolio.com/?ref=unbore.com#/back-to-school-essentials/)

[​Samsung // Ostrich​](https://youtu.be/H7ezU9MzaUE?si=m8DLHLNnBYQajsS3&ref=unbore.com)

[​Snickers // You’re Not You When You’re Hungry​](https://youtu.be/dbpFpjLVabA?si=lacFxtStqy7Tla6I&ref=unbore.com)

[​The Guardian // Three Little Pigs​](https://youtu.be/vDGrfhJH1P4?si=BU74eDTHy-xs%5FogK&ref=unbore.com)

[​Tide // It’s a Tide Ad​](https://youtu.be/zpaLHwwYxE8?si=TZN9LnjAaHfiwC5L&ref=unbore.com)

[​Volkswagen // Funeral​](https://youtu.be/LPLNhqca0Qc?si=vXQw4NQyOYenL0RQ&ref=unbore.com)

[​Volvo Trucks // The Epic Split​](https://youtu.be/M7FIvfx5J10?si=0BLKvtEsH0znvdXH&ref=unbore.com)

[​Xbox // Life is Short​](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELPRVu0GxYo&ab%5Fchannel=Budding&ref=unbore.com)

## 2\. Practice active viewing

Ask yourself:

**• What problem does the ad solve?** Structure: \[*Business problem*\] because \[*Customer behavior/belief*\].

**• What’s the human insight?** The relatable truth that makes you see yourself in the ad.

**• What’s the creative technique?** The technique they used to come up with the ad.

**• What’s the hook?** The visual or verbal element that prevents you from clicking “skip.”

### Let's take this Monster ad, for example:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379155706-ut1RkCa2ULzxFkxze7VAYa.jpeg)

Watch the [full video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myG8hq1Mk00&ref=unbore.com) (30 sec)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379156164-6nAvXKErDoP1r1hpFHZnRT.webp)

## 3\. Start an ad journal

When I was starting out, I organized my favorite ads in an Ad Journal, like this:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379156576-mYx9dLT6kkeSHCLdwpAH9H.jpeg)

​[Click here](https://shlomo-genchin.notion.site/My-Ad-Journal-f32463bbc076428fbf1057400dd2e374?ref=unbore.com) to use this template.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379156993-hhm6tLMyFUxaef5rRQsqoP-724x1024.webp)