That’s a truism I’ve always believed and one of the places I am constantly reminded of its truth is in advertising. That’s because I frequently see advertisers spending a big gob of money on a full page advertisement with a photo and not much by way of “reasons why” copy.

Consider this advert which was run in a metro Sunday newspaper. I don’t mind betting it cost a motza (although judging by the lack of advertising in the newspaper the agency might have got it at a fire sale price).

There are a few lines of copy telling us that James Halliday compared it to a V8 turbo engine. Nothing about the wine itself or what makes it such a good drop that you would sell your children to buy a few bottles.

On the other hand compare that advert to the one below that wasn’t a full page advert but rather an email from Dan Murphy’s (to be honest I have rearranged it a little so it looks comparable but the essentials remain). Bearing in mind that it is a retail advert (and could talk about price) compared to the other tombstone type advert, Dan’s advert tells the reader a lot more about the wine and why they should buy it. And Dan’s advert could be run four times as a quarter page to give far more bang for the back.

How would you spend your money if it were you doing the advertising?

The family tree for brothers Kym and John Davey is very much rooted in the McLaren Vale, with their grandfather actually planting and farming the land in the 1950s on which they now grow their award–winning and critically acclaimed wines. And award–winning they are: Shingleback have won countless medals and trophies, including the famed Jimmy Watson Trophy, perhaps the most sought–after Trophy in the country.

Shingleback “Kiss Me Kate” Chardonnay 2015 has a lot going for it. It’s a triple medal-winner from a five–star winery. It scored an impressive 91 points from wine critic James Halliday, and the same score from critic Campbell Mattinson. The majority of the fruit used was sourced from the premium cool–climate Adelaide Hills region, from a vintage rated 10/10 for white wines by James Halliday. And, finally, it’s delicious: aromas of stone fruit, pear and roasted cashew lead to a palate with flavours of grapefruit, crunchy apple, white peach and fresh pineapple. It’s a brilliant white wine and, for just $89 per six–pack, at a very sharp price too.