prentice hall, © 200913-1 copywriting part 4: principles: creativity and breakthrough advertising...

13-1Prentice Hall, © 2009

Copywriting

Part 4: Principles: Creativity and Breakthrough Advertising

Chapter 13


Questions We’ll AnswerQuestions We’ll Answer

• What basic style of writing is used for advertising copy?

• Which copy elements are essential to a print ad?

• How can we characterize the message and tools of radio advertising?

• What is the best way to summarize the major elements of television commercials?

• How is Web advertising written?

CHAPTER KEY POINTS


Ads Where Words Are CrucialAds Where Words Are Crucial

COPYWRITING: THE LANGUAGE OF ADVERTISING

1. If the message is complicated

2. In ads for high-involvement products

3. Information that needs definition and explanation

4. If a message tries to convey abstract qualities


The CopywriterThe Copywriter


• Copywriter– The person who shapes and sculpts the words

in an ad.

– Marketing, English, literature background.

– They love words, have a sense of “voice” and tone, and are versatile.

• Copy– The text of an ad.

– Words people say in a radio or TV commercial.


Advertising Writing StyleAdvertising Writing Style


• Copy should be as simple as possible.• Write the way your target audience thinks

and talks, using direct address.• Effective copy is succinct, single-minded,

and tightly focused.


Writing Effective CopyWriting Effective Copy


• Be succinct

• Be single-minded

• Be specific

• Get personal

• Keep a single focus

• Be conversational

• Be original

• Use variety

• Use imaginative description


Advertising Writing StyleAdvertising Writing Style


• Tone of Voice– Write to the target audience, as if in

conversation with one person• Grammar

– Sometimes use incorrect grammar for effect• Adese

– Clichés, superlatives, stock phrases, and vague generalities that violate the guidelines for effective copy

– Brag and boast copy—“we” focused and pompous


Two Categories of CopyTwo Categories of Copy

COPYWRITING FOR PRINT

• Display copy– Elements readers see in their initial scanning

– Headlines, subheads, call-outs, taglines, and slogans

• Body copy– Elements that are designed to be read and

absorbed

– Text of the ad message, captions, call to action


How to Write HeadlinesHow to Write Headlines


• They convey the main message, get attention, and communicate the concept.

• They must also:– Attract only prospects– Work with the visual to stop and grab readers’

attention– Identify product and brand; start the sale– Lead readers into body copy

• Good headlines interrupt readers’ scanning and get their attention.


Two Categories of HeadlinesTwo Categories of Headlines


1. Direct action (straightforward and informative)

– Assertion– Command– How-to heads– News announcements

2. Indirect action (draw reader in, build brand image)

– Puzzles– Associations– Also, “blind headlines”


How to Write Other Display CopyHow to Write Other Display Copy


• Captions– Second highest readership– Provide information

• Subheads– Lead reader into copy– Larger than body copy

• Taglines– Short, catchy, memorable– Complete or wrap-up creative idea

• Slogans– Repeated from ad to ad– Reinforce brand identity


Techniques for Creating SlogansTechniques for Creating Slogans


• Direct Address: “Have it your way; “Think small.”• A startling or unexpected phrase: the NYNEX campaign

used, “If it’s out there, it’s in here,” which is an example of a twist on a common phrase that makes it unexpected.

• Rhyme, rhythm, alliteration: uses repetition of sounds, as in the Wall Street Journal’s slogan–“The daily dairy of the American Dream.”

• Parallel construction: uses repetition of the structure of a sentence or phrase; Morton Salt’s “When it rains, it pours.”

• Cue for the product: Folgers’ “Good to the last drop;” John Deere’s “Nothing runs like a Deere,” Wheaties’ “Breakfast of Champions”

• Music: “In the valley of the Jolly, ho-ho-ho, Green Giant.”• Combination (rhyme, rhythm, parallel): “It’s your land,

lend a hand,” is the slogan for Take Pride in America.


How to Write Body CopyHow to Write Body Copy


• Body copy– Maintain interest

of reader– Persuasive heart of

message– Sales message,

argument, proof, explanation

• Writing styles– Straightforward– Narrative– Dialogue– Explanation– Translation

• Lead paragraph– First paragraph of

body copy– Catches the

reader’s attention

• Closing paragraph– Last paragraph of

body copy– Refers back to

creative concept– Wraps up the Big

Idea– Includes a “call to

action”


How to Write Body CopyHow to Write Body Copy


• Body copy– Maintain interest

of reader– Persuasive heart of

message– Sales message,

argument, proof, explanation

• Writing Styles– Straightforward– Narrative– Dialogue– Explanation– Translation

• Lead paragraph– First paragraph of

body copy– Catches the

reader’s attention

• Closing paragraph– Last paragraph of

body copy– Refers back to

creative concept– Wraps up the Big

Idea– Includes a “call to

action”


Print Media RequirementsPrint Media Requirements


• Newspapers– Less intrusive medium– Ads more straightforward and informative

• Magazines– Better ad production– More informative, longer copy

• Directories– Focus on service or store personality– Little space for explanation; keep it simple

• Posters and outdoor advertising– Creative concept marries words and visual

• Product literature– Detailed copy about a product, company, or event

more informative with longer copy


Writing for RadioWriting for Radio

HOW TO WRITE RADIO COPY

• Short: 10, 15, 30, or 60 seconds• Simple enough for consumers to grasp;

intriguing enough to prevent switching• Creativity is key to breaking through clutter• Theater of the mind


Tools for Radio CopywritingTools for Radio Copywriting


• Voice– Announcer or character

• Music– Creates a mood, establishes a setting– Jingles are catchy, “hummable”

• Sound effects (sfx)– “libraries,” CDs, online


Guidelines for Writing RadioGuidelines for Writing Radio


• Keep it personal• Speak to listener’s interests• Wake up the inattentive• Make it memorable• Include call to action• Create image transfer


Planning Radio: ScriptsPlanning Radio: Scripts


• The script contains the words, dialogue, lyrics, sound effects, instructions, and descriptions to help the producer create the commercial as the copywriter imagined.

• Sources of audio are on the left.• Words, dialogue, description of sound

effects and music are on the right.


Writing for TelevisionWriting for Television

HOW TO WRITE TELEVISION COPY

• Moving images makes TV more engaging than print.

• The challenge is to fuse the images with the words to tell a story.

• In great television commercials, words and pictures work together seamlessly to deliver the creative concept through sight, sound, and motion.


Tools of TV CopywritingTools of TV Copywriting


• Video– A key frame summarizes the main idea

• Audio– Music, voices, sound effects

– Voice-over

– Off camera

• Other TV Tools– Setting, casting, costumer, props

• Talent– Announcers, spokespersons, character types or

celebrities


Planning the TV CommercialPlanning the TV Commercial


• Copywriters plan– :10, :15, :20, :30, :60

– Number of scenes; shots in each scene

– Key visual: the image that sticks in the mind

– Where/how to shoot

• How much product info?• Pace: fast or slow?• Level of controversy and intrusiveness


Planning the TV CommercialPlanning the TV Commercial


• What’s the Big Idea?

• What’s the benefit and who benefits?

• How can you turn that benefit into a visual element?

• How can you gain the viewer’s interest in the first three seconds?

• How can you focus on a key visual?

• Is the commercial single-minded?

• Observe rules of good editing

• Is the product identified and shown in close-up at the end?


Scripts, Storyboards, PhotoboardsScripts, Storyboards, Photoboards


• Script

– The written version of the commercial

– Prepared by the copywriter

• Storyboard

– The visual plan or layout of the commercial

– Prepared by the art director

• Photoboard

– Uses photos instead of art for images


Web Writing BasicsWeb Writing Basics

WRITING FOR THE WEB

• More interactive than any other mass medium— more like two-way communication

• The copywriter’s challenge: to attract people to the site and manage dialogue-based communication.

• The advertiser’s challenge: to understand the user’s situation and design messages that fit the user’s needs.

• To write great copy for the Web, copywriters must think of it as an interactive medium and open up opportunities for interaction with the consumer.


Banner AdsBanner Ads

WRITING FOR THE WEB

• Ways copywriters make ads stand out amidst the clutter and grab attention.– Offering a deal like a discount or a freebie– Using an involvement device like a challenge or

contest– Changing the offer frequently, even daily– Keeping the writing succinct for surfers short

attention– Focusing surfers’ attention by asking questions or

offering knowledge they can use– Use the ad to solicit information and opinions

• Banner ads can remind or invite viewers to click.• The product or brand should be immediately clear.


Web AdsWeb Ads

WRITING FOR THE WEB

• They create awareness and interest in a product and build a brand image.

• Good copywriting works well in any medium, including the Internet.

• Other Web ad formats include games, pop-up windows, daughter windows, and side frames.


Global Copywriting ChallengesGlobal Copywriting Challenges

COPYWRITING IN A GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT

• Language affects the creation of the advertising.

• Standardizing copy by translating for a foreign market is dangerous.

• Solution—use bilingual copywriters – Use back translation (from the foreign language

back into the domestic one)


All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,

mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America.

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice HallPublishing as Prentice Hall

prentice hall, © 200913-1 copywriting part 4: principles: creativity and breakthrough advertising...

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