Opinion: Perspective - Lovemarks makes its play for the flakiest ad tome.(Book Review)

Last week I warned a contact at Saatchi & Saatchi that today's column would be about Lovemarks. This is the new 'ground-breaking book of business philosophy' by Kevin Roberts, the worldwide chief executive of Saatchis.

Seldom has one word proved so controversial. By lunchtime that day I had been well and truly lobbied over what to write. And what not to write.

Had I reunited Ben Langdon and Mark Wnek over a cosy lunch at the Wolseley, or offered David Herro shares in a newly floated M&C Saatchi, I doubt if the response would have been as heated.

'If you write one favourable word about Lovemarks I will cancel my subscription to Campaign,' one reader wrote. A pro-Lovemarks person sent me a long dissertation on why advertising needs more of Roberts' business advice.

It is, of course, extraordinary that one silly little book can cause such strong feelings. But then Lovemarks, for Roberts and his fans, is not just a silly little book. It's a world. It's a way of life. It's a way of dressing (black, always). It's a way of sucking up to your biggest clients in public ('I love Head & Shoulders. I won't buy or use anything else. It's a Lovemark of mine'). It's a way of getting ahead.

How to encapsulate the message of this 228-page book for readers who may not be tempted to rush out and get themselves a copy?

Basically, Lovemarks are based on weaving Mystery, Sensuality and Intimacy into every brand. But what does this mean in practice? I will open the book at random on a few pages and tell you what I find there Here goes ...