A few years ago, the New York subway system was plastered with ads for a drug called Claritin.  Mostly, these were photos of lush, green landscapes and pretty models having some kind of ‘moment of clarity’. I had no idea what Claritin did, but I’d never seen a woman that full of clarity before.  Too bad Claritin was hardly more effective than a sugar pill at treating allergies. You could have poured honey in your underwear and gotten the same results.  Demand creation is not new, but it’s proven its resilience in a society flush with borrowed cash and surplus leisure time.

When you think of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, there’s little ambiguity at the bottom.  Food, clothing, shelter.  Without these, you are probably cold, naked, and cranky.  Everything else is based on feelings and perceptions. Even safety is just a feeling that an invading army of Persians can’t take away your favorite skinny jeans and Weaver Chicken Nuggets.  In markets where even the homeless have iPods (in France, they also have chambermaids), the challenge is to make you want things just because you can afford them.

Here is my list of the top ten triumphs of demand generation and why they worked:

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