What's the secret? Impact.

Here's a long-running campaign that really has legs. IBM's series of technology and service ads. These spots, by Ogilvy & Mather, have been running for the last 5 years or more, and are among the few tech ads done by consumer agencies that are as intelligent as the market they target, that correctly identify the problem (never to be assumed with tech advertising!) and the benefit/solution, and that have true staying power and impact.

The first thing that sets these head and shoulders above everyone else's is that ingenious blue vertical border. Not only does it give the entire series a steady visual anchor, it also reinforces the IBM "blue" branding; all without wasting a single second or a single screen of superimposed text. Seeing this graphic element in every spot, even when the product line or creative strategy changes, instantly tells the viewer who's talking to him; we've got the "wireless and Blade" guys, the cable-jiggling office drones, and in this latest spot, an old man with a GREAT idea in a small lockbox who needs assistance from the IBM Helpdesk to grow his business. But, you know that all of them are IBM ads before you even get near the punchline.

These latest spots are a little too precious in their dialogue, with those cute little statements that wrap things up in a perfect, stepfordesque "bow" (kind of like those yuppie abominations you'd see on every woman's blouse in the '90s). But, even so, they're among the smartest advertising out there.