Luxury brands have the most to lose from advertising.1. Don’t spread your bets, put your money on one thing.

Ten years ago Patek Phillipe put its money on ‘heirloom’.They stuck with it and are now reaping the rewards.2. Don’t sell, make people want to buy.

This is a Sir John Hegarty quote. I’m using it because it’s true. I’m crediting him because he’s a Knight of the Realm. You don’t want to mess with those guys, you don’t know what secret powers they have.3. Avoid the language and behaviour of advertising.

With Luca Loco, Paul Silburn and I made fun of the very advertising clichés you should avoid.4. Being fashionable today is a sure way to guarantee you’ll be unfashionable tomorrow.

Dress appropriately, otherwise your brand could come across like a Prada clad uncle going through a midlife crisis.5. ‘Wasted’ space sends out a clear signal of luxury.

As a rule of thumb companies who sell on price, like supermarkets, fill every millimetre of space; companies who sell on brand demonstrate they can afford not to.6.If your ad feels intelligent so will its reader.

Sometimes making messages as easy to grasp as possible can make the message feel dumb. The Economist has spent years making messages harder to grasp – and to great effect.7. Show your audience you know who they are.

In certain categories, like sportswear, empathy can be a more powerful selling tool than selling. 8.The fewer elements, the more confident the page.

Confidence is crucial to luxury brands, they shouldn’t try to justify their price with rational argument.