copywriting ©2012 cengage learning. all rights reserved
TRANSCRIPT
COPYWRITING
©2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
Executing the Creative: PerspectiveExecuting the Creative: Perspective
• It’s the creative principles that mattero Good writingo Effective visuals
• The world in which ads exist has changedo Media and technologyo Economic environmento Social environment
The Creative Team and the Creative Brief
Copywriter Art Director
Creative Team
Creative Brief
Media /Account
Planner
Copywriters and Art Directors
Copywriting
is the process
of
expressing the
value and
benefits a
brand
has to offer.
A Creative
Brief is the guide
used in the
copywriting
process
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
Here is a classic case of
a headline offering the
reader advice.
© C
ourt
esy
1-80
0-C
olle
ct
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
How does this ad follow
all the guidelines
for subheads?
Cre
ated
in h
ouse
by
Sve
tlana
Ele
ctro
n D
evic
es. C
reat
ive
Dire
ctor
Jer
ri B
atre
s; P
hoto
grap
her
Jare
d C
assi
dy.
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
No headline, no subhead, no body copy—does this ad still work?
© M
anol
o M
oran
Copywriting for BroadcastAdvertising
• 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 Musico Dialogo Announcemento Celebrity announcer
Writing Radio Copy
Guidelines• Get attention/get
to the point!
• Use common familiar language
• Use short words and sentences
• Stimulate the imagination
• Repeat the brand name
• Stress the main selling points
• Use sound and music carefully
• Tailor the copy to the time, place, and specific audience
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
• Support the video
• Coordinate the audio with the video
• Entertain but sell the brand
• Be flexible
• Use copy judiciously
• Reflect the brand’s personality and image
• 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…o Increase memorabilityo Help establish an image, identity or
position for a brand or organization
• Good slogans can…o Be an integral part of brand’s imageo Act as shorthand identification for the
brando Provide information about the brand’s
benefits
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 Planning
Copywriter
Senior Writer Creative Director
Account Management Team
Legal Department
Product Manager, BrandManager, Marketing Staff
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
Illustrations can place the
brand in a social context.
Cou
rtes
y S
ketc
hers
US
A, I
nc.
Illustration Components
Illustration Formats
How the brand will appear as part of the illustration
• Formats include:o Emphasizing the social context
ormeaning of the product
o More abstract formats
• Must be consistent with the copy/creative strategy
Design
(and plan behind the structure) for the aesthetic and stylistic aspects of a print/digital advertisement.
Is the Structure ….
Principles of Design
Balance (Formal): Symmetrical presentation of elements
Formal balance can create a very orderly look and feel.
© M
INI,
A D
ivis
ion
of B
MW
of N
orth
Am
eric
a, L
LC
Principles of Design
Balance (Informal): Asymmetrical weighing of non-similar shapes
Informal balance can create desired eye movement through an ad.
Cou
rtes
y, F
irst B
ase
Imag
ing,
Lon
don
Principles of Design
Proportion
Principles of Design
Order
Principles of Design
Unity
Principles of Design
Emphasis
Emphasis in an
ad will lead the reader to focus
on one layout element more than another.
Cou
rtes
y of
Wes
tPoi
nt S
teve
ns, I
nc. a
nd C
hilln
gwor
th\R
eddn
g, in
c.
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
TVo 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 CompanyParticipants:
• 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
Budget approval
Assessment of directors, editorial houses, and music suppliers
Review of bids from production houses and
other suppliers
Creation of aproduction timetable
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 performerso Trained technicianso 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