Intercom’s New Billboard

Here’s another polarizing example from the past week.

Des Traynor, founder of Intercom, shared their new billboard ad.

Some people loved it. Many did not.

From Des’s perspective:

“just say the thing you want to say, and don’t dilute it or confuse it with ‘copy’ to try to make it catchy”.

I agree with that statement and appreciate the approach, but this ad still feels unclear.

What I think would improve it:

1. Be clearer about WHO intercom is for.
2. Be clearer about what a “complete” CS platform is and why someone should care.
3. Instead of being the leader in AI, tell me why you’re better.
4. Make it more about the customer.

In contrast, I actually think the H2 on their website is much clearer:

“The only solution that combines an AI chatbot, help desk, and proactive support — so you can keep costs low, support teams happy, and customers satisfied.”

Takeaway: Clear beats clever. But clarity is harder than many people think.

Check out Des Traynor’s post