COPYWRITING 2012 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved Executing

COPYWRITING © 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Executing the Creative: Perspective • It’s the creative principles that matter Good writing o Effective visuals o • The world in which ads exist has changed Media and technology o Economic environment o Social environment o

The Creative Team and the Creative Brief Copywriter Art Director Creative Team Creative Brief Media /Account Planner

Copywriters and Art Directors Copywriting A Creative is the process of Brief is the guide expressing the used in the value and copywriting process benefits a brand has to offer. that specifies the message elements of advertising copy.

Copywriting for Print Ads: The Headline Purposes: • Get attention • Gives news about the brand • • • Emphasizes brand claims Gives advice to the reader Selects targeted prospects Stimulates curiosity Establishes tone and emotion Identifies the brand

© Courtesy 1 -800 -Collect Here is a classic case of a headline offering the reader advice.

Copywriting for Print Ads: Subhead: Appears above or below Headline • Reinforce the headline • Include important information and communicated in the headline • Communicate key selling points or information quickly • Stimulate more complete reading of the whole ad • The longer the body copy, the more appropriate is the use of subheads

Created in house by Svetlana Electron Devices. Creative Director Jerri Batres; Photographer Jared Cassidy. How does this ad follow all the guidelines for subheads?

Copywriting for Print Ads: The Body Copy Techniques • Straight-line copy • Dialogue • Testimonial • Narrative • Direct response copy

Copywriting for Print Ads: The Body Copy Guidelines • Use present tense • Use singular nouns and verbs • Use active verbs • Use familiar words and phrases • Vary sentence and paragraph length • Involve the reader • Provide support for the unbelievable • Avoid clichés and superlatives

© Manolo Moran No headline, no subhead, no body copy— does this ad still work?

Copywriting for Broadcast Advertising • Different opportunities due to sight and sound • Inherent limitations… o Broadcast ads offer a fleeting message o Broadcast employs more sensory devices which can ad or detract from consumers’ understanding of the message

Writing Radio Copy • Radio listeners are not active. • Radio has been called “verbal wallpaper” • Radio can be the “theater of the mind” • Formats: o Music o Dialog o Announcement o Celebrity announcer

Writing Radio Copy Guidelines • Get attention/get to the point! • Stress the main selling points • Use common familiar language • Use sound and music carefully • Use short words and sentences • Tailor the copy to the time, place, and specific audience • Stimulate the imagination • Repeat the brand name

Writing Copy for Television/Video • Can create a mood • Opportunity to demonstrate with action • Words should not stand alone—use visuals/special effects • Precisely coordinate audio/visual • Storyboard is the roadmap

Writing Television Copy Guidelines • Use the video • Use copy judiciously • Support the video • Reflect the brand’s personality and image • Coordinate the audio with the video • Entertain but sell the brand • Be flexible • Build campaigns

Copywriting for Digital/Interactive Media • Hybrid of print and broadcast copy • “Audience” has different meaning in digital o More incentive to read o Much of the copy is direct response o Audience may “interact” with ad o Print and broadcast recommendations for copywriting apply to digital

Copywriting Approaches to Digital/Interactive Advertising • Long-copy landing page • Short-copy landing page • Long-copy email • Teaser email copy • Pop-up/pop-under copy • Social media copy

Slogans/Taglines • Short phrases used to… Increase memorability o Help establish an image, identity or position for a brand or organization o • Good slogans can… Be an integral part of brand’s image o Act as shorthand identification for the brand o Provide information about the brand’s benefits o

Common Mistakes in Copywriting • Vagueness • Wordiness • Triteness • Bad taste – Attention getting, but simple minded • Laundry lists of features • Creativity for creativity’s sake

Copy Approval Process Account Management Team Legal Department Account Planning Copywriter Product Manager, Brand Manager, Marketing Staff Senior Writer Creative Director Senior Executives

Art Direction The Evolution from Words to Pictures • Improved technology for better illustration • Digital media allow frequent rotation of visuals • Brand values communicated better with visuals • Visuals can be protected legally • Visuals are more globally portable than words across cultures • Visuals allow placing the brand in a social context

Illustration Definition • The actual drawing, painting, photography, or computer-generated art in the ad. Purposes: • Attract attention of the target audience • Make the brand heroic • Communicate brand features or benefits • Create a mood, feeling or image • Stimulate reading of the body copy • Create a desire social context for the brand

Courtesy Sketchers USA, Inc. Illustrations can place the brand in a social context.

Illustration Components

Illustration Formats How the brand will appear as part of the illustration • Formats include: o Emphasizing the social context or meaning of the product o More abstract formats • Must be consistent with the copy/creative strategy

Design Is the Structure …. (and plan behind the structure) for the aesthetic and stylistic aspects of a print/digital advertisement.

Principles of Design Balance (Formal): Symmetrical presentation of elements

© MINI, A Division of BMW of North America, LLC Formal balance can create a very orderly look and feel.

Principles of Design Balance (Informal): Asymmetrical weighing of non-similar shapes

Courtesy, First Base Imaging, London Informal balance can create desired eye movement through an ad.

Principles of Design Proportion

Principles of Design Order

Principles of Design Unity

Principles of Design Emphasis

Courtesy of West. Point Stevens, Inc. and ChillngworthReddng, inc. Emphasis in an ad will lead the reader to focus on one layout element more than another.

Layout Thumbnails Rough Layout Comprehensive

Typography: Typeface and type size

Art Direction and Production in Digital/Interactive Media • Cyberspace is its own medium • The audience is not passive • At present, it is closer to print than TV o Streaming and RSS are improvements • Revision can be nearly instantaneous • Persuasive content versus entertainment is a challenge • Consumer generated content (CGC) is making its way into cyberspace

Art Direction and Production in Radio • Highlights the role of the copywriter • Other members of creative typically not involved —more tech people involved • Process begins with soliciting bids • Next step is casting talent – Announcer – Music talent • Final prep and production = sound studio – Fact sheet ad – Live script ad

Art Direction in Television Advertising • TV has changed the face of advertising • TV is about moving visuals • It can leave impressions, set moods, tell stories • It can get consumers to notice the brand • TV production is complex, with many people and requires tremendous organizational skills

The Creative Team in Television Advertising Agency Participants: • Creative Director (CD) • Art Director (AD) • Copywriter • Account Executive (AE) • Producer Production Company Participants: • Director • Producer • Production Manager • Camera Department • Art Department • Editors

Creative Guidelines for Television Advertising • Use an attention-getting/relevant opening • Emphasize the visual • Coordinate the audio with the visual • Persuade as well as entertain • Show the brand

Production Process for Television Advertising • Preproduction: How creative can be brought to life • Multiple activities that occur prior to filming the commercial • • Production (shoot) Activities that occur during filming Postproduction Activities that occur after filming to ready the commercial

Preproduction Process for Television Advertising Storyboard and script approval Review of bids from production houses and other suppliers Budget approval Creation of a production timetable Assessment of directors, editorial houses, and music suppliers Selection of location, sets, and cast Production/Shoot

Production Process • Filming the commercial, or “the shoot” • The shoot involves large numbers of diverse people: o Creative performers o Trained technicians o Skilled laborers • Sets often feature tension and spontaneity • Typical national commercial costs $100, 000 to $500, 000

Postproduction Process • • Director’s rough cut Digital editing Audio edit Master, dubs, and distribution