copywriting advertising principles and practices

Copywriting

Advertising Principles and Practices

13-2Prentice Hall, © 2009

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?

Milking SuccessMilking Success

\

• Following on the heels of the “does a body good” campaign, “Got Milk” tried to make drinking milk cool.

• The campaign was created in California in 1993 to turn around a 15-year decline in consumption.

• The campaign won several awards and milk sales rose from 740 to 755 million gallons in one year.

Visit the Site

Prentice Hall, © 2009 13-3

http://www.milknewsroom.com/ads.htm


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

Four Types of Ads Where Four Types of Ads Where Words are CrucialWords are Crucial


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.

Principle: Effective copy is succinct, single-minded, and

tightly focused.

Video SnippetDunkin’ Donuts’

accessible brand and conversational ad copy

connects with consumers.


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


Copywriting for PrintCopywriting 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

Principle: Good headlines interrupt readers’ scanning and

get their attention.


Two Categories of HeadlinesTwo Categories of Headlines1. Direct Action (straightforward and

informative)– Assertion– Command– How-To Heads– News

Announcements2. Indirect Action (draw reader in, build

brand image)– Puzzles– Associations– Also, “blind

headlines”


• 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

How to Write Other How to Write Other Display CopyDisplay Copy


1. Together we can prevail2. Imagination at work3. Communication without boundaries4. A mind is a terrible thing to waste5. Our challenge is life6. Know How7. A business of caring8. Melts in your mouth, not in your hands9. Always surprising10. Inspire the next11. When you care enough to send the very best12. Where patients come first13. Can you hear me now?14. For successful living15. Inspiration comes standard16. When it absolutely, positively has to be there

overnight

Test Yourself: Test Yourself: Identify the CompanyIdentify the Company

a. Merckb. Bristol-Myers Squibbc. Hallmarkd. Swatche. Avayaf. Hitachig. Verizon*h. Cignai. FedExj. Dieselk. Canonl. Chryslerm. M&M’sn. United Negro College Fundo. Aventisp. GE

Answers to Companies: 1:b. Bristol-Myers Squibb; 2:p. GE*; 3:e Avaya; 4:n. United Negro College Fund*; 5:o. Aventis; 6:k. Canon; 7:h. Cigna; 8:m. M&M’s*; 9:d. Swatch; 10:f.Hitachi; 11:c. Hallmark*; 12:a. Merck; 13:g. Verizon*; 14:j. Diesel; 15:l. Chrysler; 16:i. FedEx*.


Advertising WeekAdvertising Week Winners Winners

• Advertising Week winning slogans every year and post them in their Walk of Fame.

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• 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,” slogan for Take Pride in America.

Techniques for Creating Techniques for Creating Catchy SlogansCatchy Slogans


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


How to Write Body CopyHow to Write Body Copy

• 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

• All media in the print category all use the same copy elements

• The way these elements are used varies with the objective for using the medium


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


Writing for RadioWriting for Radio

• 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

Principle:Radio copywriters try to match the

conversational style of the target audience.


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


The Radio Advertising BureauThe Radio Advertising Bureau

Visit the Site

• The RAB is the sales and marketing arm of the radio industry.


• 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.

Planning the Radio Planning the Radio Commercial: ScriptsCommercial: Scripts


How to Write Television CopyHow 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

Principle: In great television commercials, words and pictures work together seamlessly to

deliver the creative concept through sight, sound, and motion.


Technique

Action: When you watch television, you are watching a walking, talking, moving world that gives the illusion of being three-dimensional.

Demonstration: Seeing is believing. Believability and credibility—the essence of persuasion—are high because we believe what we see with our own eyes.

Storytelling: Most of the programming on television is narrative so commercials use storytelling to take advantage of the medium’s strengths.

Emotion: The ability to touch the feelings of the viewer makes television commercials entertaining, diverting, amusing, and absorbing. Real-life situations with all their humor, anger, fear, pride, jealousy, and love come alive on the screen. Humor, in particular, works well on television.

TV Advertising TechniquesTV Advertising TechniquesMessage Design

Good television advertising uses the effect of action. Torture tests, steps, and procedures are all actions that are easier to present on TV than in print.

If you have a strong sales message that lends itself to demonstration, such as “how-to” messages, then television is the ideal medium for that message.

TV is our society’s master storyteller because of its ability to present a plot and the action that leads to a conclusion in which the product plays a major role. TV can dramatize the situation in which a product is used and the type of people using it. Stories can be riveting if they are well told, but they must be imaginative to hold their own against the programming that surrounds them.

Emotional appeals are found in natural situations that everyone can identify with. Hallmark has produced some tear-jerking commercials about the times of our lives that we remember by the cards we receive and save. Kodak and Polaroid have used a similar strategy for precious moments that are remembered in photographs.


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, and Scripts, Storyboards, and PhotoboardsPhotoboards

SCRIPT

The written version of the commercial

Prepared by the copywriter

STORYBOARD

The visual plan or layout of the

commercial

Prepared by theart director

PHOTOBOARDUses photos instead of art for images


Doritos: Checkout Girl

:30 Seconds

Video

INTERIOR GROCERY STORE AT CHECK OUT REGISTER

A REGULAR GUY CUSTOMER at the check out register buys bags and bags of Doritos. The odd, off-beat Checkout Girl asks in a monotone voice:

Action starts mellow, then builds.

She scans the first bag of Doritos

She scans another bag.

He smiles, thinks she’s kind of nuts. She scans another.

She composes herself. He’s weirdly turned on now. She scans another.

Flirting, he growls back to her.

Now she’s super frisky! Scans another!!!!

CUT TO: EXPLODING DORITOS BAG!CUT BACK TO: INTERIOR GROCERY STORE AT CHECKOUT REGISTER

Sound of MICROPHONE FEEDBACK as the Checkout Girl grabs the microphone at the register. She looks like she’s been through

the ringer.-

Doritos: Checkout Girl

:30 Seconds

Audio

CHECKOUT GIRL: Paper or plastic?

GUY: Paper’s fine

CHECKOUT GIRL: I like theseCHECKOUT GIRL (CONT’D): Oh, Nacho cheese. (chest bang) Old school.CHECKOUT GIRL (CONT’D): Fiery Habanero. (passionately yells) Yeah! Those are hot!CHECKOUT GIRL (CONT’D): Oh, Salsa Verrrrrrde. Arrgh! (tiger sound)

GUY: Arrrrrrrrrr.

CHECKOUT GIRL: Blazin’ Buffalo and Ranch!! Giddy up!

SFX: MICROPHONE FEEDBACK

CHECKOUT GIRL I’m gonna need a clean up on register six.

SFX: She chomps into a Doritos chip—crunch.


Writing for the WebWriting 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.

Principle: 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• 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• 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

• Language affects the creation of the advertising.

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

• Solution—use bilingual copywriters – Use back translation

Discussion Questions


Discussion Question 1Discussion Question 1

• Creative directors say the copy and art must work together to create a concept.

• Consider all the ads in this chapter and the preceding chapter and identify one that you believe demonstrates that principle?

• Explain what the words contribute and how they work with the visual.



• One principle of print copywriting is that the headline catches the reader’s eye, but the body copy wins the reader’s heart and mind.

• Find an ad that demonstrates that principle and explain how it works.



• A principle of TV message design is that television is primarily a visual medium.

• However, very few television commercials are designed without a vocal element (actors or announcers).

• Even the many commercials that visually demonstrate products in action use an off screen voice to provide information.

• Why is there a need to use a voice in a television commercial?


Discussion Question 4Discussion Question 4• Three-minute debate: Professor Strong has set up a debate

between the advertising sales director of the campus newspaper and the manager of the campus radio station, which is a commercial operation.

• During the discussion, the newspaper representative says that most radio commercials sound like newspaper ads, but are harder to follow. The radio manager responds by claiming that radio creativity works with “the theater of the mind” and is more engaging than newspaper ads.

• In class, organize into small teams with pairs of teams taking one side or the other. Set up a series of three-minute debates with each side having half the time to explain what these media selling points mean. In other words, make the case for either newspaper or radio advertising in a local market. Every team of debaters must present new points not covered in the previous teams’ presentations until there are no arguments left to present. Then the class votes as a group on the winning point of view.


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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

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