It's All Begins With the Script
The world does not revolve around you…or does it? Most advertising professionals tell us that the average American today is exposed to some 2500 commercial messages in any given 24 hours. And I can only guess at how much energy is spent trying to avoid the vast majority of them. The ones that really cut through are the ones that touch you personally. The ads that actually evoke an emotional response from you. You know what I’m talking about. Usually the vast majority of the commercials run during the Super Bowl are the topic of watercooler conversation for at least a week. But throughout the year you’re bound to hear a co-worker or friend say, "Wow, did you see that spot for Armadillos Are Us? I thought I’d fall off the chair."
Since we all know that the best form of advertising is WORD OF MOUTH, shouldn’t the goal of everything we write and produce shoot for that? A lofty goal, I know, but that’s what we should be after. From concepting to putting actual words on paper to choosing the right voice, music, on camera talent and location, we should all aspire to reach through the picture tube or speaker and touch the viewer or listener in such a way that they’ll not only "get it" but talk about it to others. In other words, if you’re going to advertise, DO IT RIGHT!
The guys around here will tell you that there’s very little in this world that makes me mad, but one thing that does is poor creative…bad writing. After all these years, it still peaves me whenever I hear a commercial use words like "Friendly Helpful Staff". "Knowledgeable Salespeople that are ready to help." Oh stop it. Like any business is going to hire a bunch of creeps who don’t have a clue about the business they’re in. Okay, we all know that some apparently do, but no one expects it. You’d be better off to write something totally unexpected like, "Our self-absorbed high school drop outs will be too busy complaining about their last customer to even notice you’ve entered the store, so shop in complete anonymity."
And, one more phone number may just be enough to put me over the edge. We’ve already established that we’re exposed to 2500 commercials a day, what makes you think any listener or viewer is going to rush to the phone to call you. If your message is compelling enough, honest, folks will take the time to look up your number. An easy to find web site would be preferrable.
The next time you’re writing, keep in mind the commercials that you’ve seen or heard that really got you thinking. Really motivated you to take action, or at least interested you enough to tell a friend about. It’s a great place to start.
Since we all know that the best form of advertising is WORD OF MOUTH, shouldn’t the goal of everything we write and produce shoot for that? A lofty goal, I know, but that’s what we should be after. From concepting to putting actual words on paper to choosing the right voice, music, on camera talent and location, we should all aspire to reach through the picture tube or speaker and touch the viewer or listener in such a way that they’ll not only "get it" but talk about it to others. In other words, if you’re going to advertise, DO IT RIGHT!
The guys around here will tell you that there’s very little in this world that makes me mad, but one thing that does is poor creative…bad writing. After all these years, it still peaves me whenever I hear a commercial use words like "Friendly Helpful Staff". "Knowledgeable Salespeople that are ready to help." Oh stop it. Like any business is going to hire a bunch of creeps who don’t have a clue about the business they’re in. Okay, we all know that some apparently do, but no one expects it. You’d be better off to write something totally unexpected like, "Our self-absorbed high school drop outs will be too busy complaining about their last customer to even notice you’ve entered the store, so shop in complete anonymity."
And, one more phone number may just be enough to put me over the edge. We’ve already established that we’re exposed to 2500 commercials a day, what makes you think any listener or viewer is going to rush to the phone to call you. If your message is compelling enough, honest, folks will take the time to look up your number. An easy to find web site would be preferrable.
The next time you’re writing, keep in mind the commercials that you’ve seen or heard that really got you thinking. Really motivated you to take action, or at least interested you enough to tell a friend about. It’s a great place to start.
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