Chapter 13

 Words and pictures work together to produce a

creative concept.
 However, the creative idea is expressed in words
– some attention-getting and memorable
phrase – magic words.
 Finding these “magic words” is the
responsibility of the copywriter.
 The copywriter searches for the right words to
warm up a mood or soften consumer resistance.
 Thanda matlab coca cola
 Kuch meetha ho jaye
 Shopping ka naya address
 Isko laga daala toh life jhinga lala
 Jiyo sar utha ke
 Daag achche hain
 …. And the list goes on…
 The person who shapes and sculpts the words in advertising
is called a COPYWRITER.
 Copy is the text of an ad or the words people say in a
commercial.
 Copywriters begin with the strategy and creative brief.
 Then, working with an art director and a creative director,
the creative team searches for Big Ideas in the form of
magic words and powerful visuals that translate the strategy
into a message that is attention-getting and memorable.
 A truly great Big Idea will come to life in the interaction
between words and pictures.
 A successful copywriter is a savvy marketer and a
literary master.

 Sometimes described as a “killer poet”.

 Copywriter love words and search for the clever

twist, the pun, the powerful description, the punch,
the nuance, the rhyme and rhythm of speech.

 They know the meanings, derivations, moods, and

feelings of words and the reverberations and
vibrations they create in a reader’s mind.
 Copywriters…
 Have a background in English or literature
 Have an ear for the right or clever phrase
 Listen to the way people talk and identify the tone of
voice that best fits the target audience
 Are versatile – can shift their writing style to match
the product and the language of the target audience
 Spend hours and days to craft a paragraph (like poets)
 (Must) have thick skin (others critique their work)
 An advertising legend, William Marsteller
wrote a classic ad titled “The Wonderful
World of Words”. He talked about how words
can be used to communicate advertising
messages.

 The ad demonstrates the power of

connotation.
 Although advertising is highly visual, there
are four types of advertisements in which
words are crucial:
 Complex
 High Involvement
 Explanation
 Abstract
 COMPLEX
 If the message is complicated, words can be more
specific than visuals. Words can be read over and over
until the meaning is clear.

 HIGH INVOLVEMENT
 If the ad is for a high-involvement product – meaning
the consumer spends a lot of time considering it –
then the more information the better, and that means
using words. (e.g. medical facilities, financial services)
 EXPLANATION
 Information that needs definition and
explanation, like how a new wireless phone works,
is better delivered through words.

 ABSTRACT
 If a message tries to convey abstract qualities,
such as justice, quality, intelligence, etc., words
tend to communicate these concepts more easily
than pictures.
 What are the
basic word,
language and
writing skills Let’s find out….
required for
brand
communication?
 The tighter the writing, easier it is to understand, the greater
its impact. Simple ads avoid clichés; they don’t try too hard or
reach too far to make a point.

 There are some characteristics of writing effective copy.

 Also important is the tone of voice (keeping the target

audience in mind)

 Grammar (correct or incorrect?)

 Adese (formulaic writing)

1. Succinct – short words, sentences, paragraphs
2. Single Focus– focus on a single idea
3. Specific – don’t waste time on generalities
4. Personal – address the audience directly
5. Conversational – use the language of everyday
conversation
6. Original – avoid stock advertising phrases
7. Magic Phrases – to add power and memorability
8. Variety – alternate words and visuals
9. Imaginative Description – use evocative or figurative
language
10. A Story – use stories to touch emotions
 Every word counts because both space and time are
expensive.

 Ineffective or overused words and phrases –

interesting, very, in order to, buy now and save,
introducing, nothing less than – waste precious space.

 To catch the attention of the consumer, the ad copy

should be as simple as possible.

 Succinct, single-minded, clear focus, conveying only

one selling point.
 The newspaper’s image of
being a challenging,
intelligent and thoughtful
read is emphasized
through the crisp copy, and
the white type against red
background.
 Other examples:
 Paanch matlab
 Fevicol
 Message tones reflect the emotion behind an ad – angry,
happy, fearful, excited, serious, etc. Anger,
 The choice of tone affects the way advertising copy
(script) is written, the way people feel about an ad, and the
relationship the ad creates with the consumer.
 In a Polio Nivaran campaign, Amitabh Bachchan presents
the message in an irate tone, “Sharam aani chahiye, ye
polio waale bewakuf nahi hain ke har baar wapas aa rahe
hain. Inka kaam hai desh ke ek ek bachche ko dava pilana,
aur agar ek bhi bachha chhut gaya to bimari jad se nahin
jayegi…”
 Copywriters are
attuned to the niceties
of grammar, syntax
and spelling.
 Sometimes they may
play with a word or
phrase to create an
effect, even if it’s
grammatically
incorrect.
 Formula writing violates all
guidelines of writing
effective copy.
 It is full of clichés, vague
generalities, stock phrases.
 Avoid your-name-here
copy.
 Avoid brag-and-boast
copy
For example
 As easy as pie (cliché)
 Best in class (superlatives
and puffery)
 Buy now and save (stock
phrases)
 Free trial offer (stock
phrases)
 Prices too low to advertise
(vague generalities)
 “Your-name-here”  “Brag-and-boast” copy
copy
 Platitudes and clichés
are general and can be
used by anyone –
AVOID.
 What’s in it for the
customer? – INCLUDE
 Pompous tone – AVOID.
 Superlatives and
generalities – AVOID.
 “manufactured with a
degree of precision that is
itself a breakthrough“.
 Different types of media have different styles,
restrictions, and audiences.
 Copywriters adjust their presentation to
accommodate the stylistic differences of the
medium:
 Copywriting for print
 Copywriting for radio
 Copywriting for television
 Copywriting for internet
 The two categories of copy that print advertising uses are
 Display copy
 Body copy (or text)

 Display copy includes all elements that readers see in

their initial scanning – headlines, sub-heads, call-outs,
taglines and slogans.
 These elements are set in larger type sizes than body copy and
are designed to get attention and to stop the viewer’s scanning.

 Body copy includes elements that are designed to be read

and absorbed, such as the text of the ad message and
captions.
 A phrase or a sentence that serves as the opening to the ad.

 What’s the point? – it conveys the main message or point of the

ad.

 The headline, along with the visual, captures attention and

breaks the clutter.

 Headlines are often catchy phrases, but they also have to

convey an idea and attract the interest of the audience.

 Agencies copytest headlines to make sure they can be

understood at a glance and that they communicate exactly the
right idea.
 Target – use the headline to tightly target the
right audience
 Stop and grab – headline + visual must grab
attention
 Identify – the headline should identify or
suggest the brand/company/product and the Big
Idea.
 Change scanning to reading – headline should
lead readers into the body copy or text.
 Direct-action headlines
 Straightforward and informative
 Highly targeted
 May fail to lead the reader into the message if not
captivating enough

 Indirect-action headlines (or blind headline)

 May not provide enough information
 But may lead the reader into the message and
build a brand image
 Assertion
 stating a claim or promise

 Command
 politely telling the reader to do something

 How-to Heads
 telling people how to use a product or how to solve a
problem

 News announcements
 news headlines for introducing, or re-introducing a
product.
 Puzzles
 puzzling statements, ambiguities, surprises,
questions to pull the reader into the copy.

 Associations
 using lifestyle and image to get attention and
build interest.
 Sub-heads / Captions
 Next to the headline, sub-heads or captions have
the second-highest readership.
 Sub-heads are sectional headlines.
 They continue to lure the reader into the body
copy.
 Taglines
 Short, catchy and memorable phrases used at the
end of an ad to wrap up or complete the creative
idea.

 Slogans
 Repeated from ad to ad as part of a campaign.
 The second element of a print ad is the body copy.
 The body copy is the text of the ad and its primary
role is to maintain the interest of the reader.
 It develops the sales message, states the argument,
summarizes the proof, and provides explanation.
 The body copy is the persuasive heart of the
message.
 Consumer interest is excited by the display copy – the
body copy convinces the consumer.
 Straightforward – factual
 Narrative – story-telling in first or third person
 Dialogue – the reader “listens in” on a
conversation
 Explanation – how something works
 Translation – technical information is translated
into understandable language
 The first paragraph of the body copy – THE
LEAD -

 The closing paragraph wraps up the Big Idea.

 A call-to-action may be used at the end.

 Different print media use the same elements of
copywriting, but in a different manner.
 Newspapers – straightforward and informative copy;
writing is brief, giving critical information
 Magazines – longer copy; better quality production
 Directories – simple explanations due to limited
space; display advertising
 Posters and outdoor advertising – primarily visual;
brief copy;
 Product Literature (brochures, pamphlets) –
dominating body copy, along wth visuals
 Copywriting for print
 Copywriting for radio
 Copywriting for television
 Copywriting for internet
 Radio is pervasive in that it surrounds many of our
activities.
 However, it is not the centre of attention and is
usually in the background.
 Because radio is a transitory medium and listeners are
often in the car or doing something else the ability of
the listener to remember facts (name, number, etc) is
difficult.
 Ad spots on radio are for 15-, 30- or 60- seconds
duration.
 Radio’s advantage is theatre of the mind –
the story is visualized in the listener’s
imagination.

 Messages on radio should

 Be simple…
 ….yet, intriguing
 Contain repetition
 Use imagery
 Voice
 Music
 Sound effects
 The voices help listeners “see” the characters in a
commercial.

 The copywriter understands that we imagine people

and what they are like, based on their voices.

 Dialogue uses character voices to convey an image of

the speaker.

 The voice used in the commercial will be determined

by the quality it evokes in the listener – and by what it
contributes to the message.
 In radio advertising, speaking style should
match the speech of the target audience.
 Spoken language is different from written
language.
 We talk in short sentences and fragments, seldom
using complex sentences in speech.
 Teenagers talk differently than 80-year olds.
 Music can be used behind the dialogue to
create mood and establish the setting.

 Primary use of music is as jingles.

 Described in a radio script, sound effects are
important in making a commercial attention-
getting and memorable.

 Original or purchased from sound effect

libraries.
 Keep it personal – use conversational language

 Speak to listeners’ interests – use appropriate tone of voice

 Wake up the inattentive – through sound effects, music,

questions, command..

 Make it memorable – mention and repeat the name of the

product emphatically; use taglines and other key phrases

 Include call to action – ending with the brand name

 Create image transfer – link with a TVC by using key phrases

and ideas from the TVC
 Copywriting for print
 Copywriting for radio
 Copywriting for television
 Copywriting for internet
 One of the strengths of television is its ability to
 reinforce verbal messages with visuals, or
 reinforce visuals with verbal messages

 TVC consists of pictures…

 …that move to impart facts or evoke emotions
 …and selling words that are not read but heard.
 The right combination of sight and sound can
be an extremely potent tool.
 Effective TVCs can ensure audience absorption if they
are written to maximise the dramatic aspects of
moving images and storytelling.
 Storytelling is one way that copywriters can present
action (moving pictures) in a TVC more powerfully
than in other media – it takes advantage of the
medium’s strength.
 TV advertising can be highly persuasive because of
TV’s ability touch our emotions, and to show us
things (demonstration of how a product looks and
works).
 In great TVCs, words and pictures come together
seamlessly to deliver the creative concept. The
copywriting tools that are used are:
 Video
 Audio
 Other TV tools

 Because of the number of video and audio

elements involved, TVCs are quite complex to
write.
 TV is theatrical – many of the tools of the
copywriter are similar to those used in plays,
movies, etc.:
 Characters
 Costumes
 Sets and locations
 Props
 Lighting
 Optical and computerized special effects
 On-screen graphics
 Effective copy in a TVC would convey as
much of the Big Idea as possible through the
combined effect of visuals and motion.

 The story must create the desired effect by

expressing emotion convincingly in facial
expressions, gestures, and other body
language.
 The three elements of radio advertising are
used in TVCs as well, albeit differently
because of the accompanying visuals.

 Voice techniques
 Voice-overs (announcer describing action on the
screen)
 Off-camera voice
 Announcer speaking directly to the camera (on- or
off-camera)
 Music
 Sometimes used as background
 Sometimes it is the focus of the commercial

 Copywriter develops the dialogue for the

conversation shown on screen.
 Settings, casting (TALENT), costumes, props,
lighting, etc…

 Setting – sets and location

 On location (outside)
 In a studio

 Casting
 Finding the right person for each role is called
CASTING (also called TALENT).
 Casting is done for
 Announcers/Presenters/Introducers – onstage or
offstage
 Spokespersons – or “spokesthings”
 Character types – old woman, child, police officer,
etc..
 Celebrities
 Costumes and makeup are important part of the
story.

 They depend on the story and the requirements of the

script.

 Lighting effects may also be specified – e.g. “intense

bright light as though reflected from snow”; “light
flickering on people’s faces as though from a TV screen”.

 Copywriter may also specify the PACE – how fast or

slowly the action progresses.
 Copywriters must plan
 How long the commercial will be
 What shots will appear in each scene
 Where to shoot the commercial
 How to shoot the commercial
 Length and number of scenes (10-, 15-, 20-, 30-
60- seconds) – most common is 30-seconds.
 Key frames
 Scenes
 Segments of action that occur in a single location
 Within a scene there may be several shots from different angles
 A 30-second commercial may have 4 to 6 scenes
 A fast-paced commercial may have many more

 The message is developed from a KEY FRAME – the key

visual that contains the heart/essence of the message.
 Other decisions
 How much product information to include?
 Should the action be fast or slow?
 Traditional or defiant ad?
 How intrusive should the ad be?
 What’s the Big Idea?
 What’s the benefit of the Big Idea? – connect the Big
Idea to the target audience..
 How can you turn that benefit into a visual element?
 Gain the interest of your viewer – in the first 3 seconds
 Focus on a key visual
 Be single-minded
 Good editing
 Show the product at the close
 A TV script is developed by the copywriter

 The TV script is a written version of the TVC

Plan. It contains all the
 words,
 dialogue,
 lyrics,
 instructions,
 descriptions of sets, costumes, lighting, etc.
 A storyboard is drawn by the art director.

 It is the visual plan or layout of the

commercial.

 It shows the number of scenes, composition

of shots, progression of action.
 Copywriting for print
 Copywriting for radio
 Copywriting for television
 Copywriting for internet
 Advertising on the web is more interactive –
two-way communication.
 The copywriter is challenged to not only attract
the attention of the audience but also to
manage a dialogue-based communication
experience.
 Web advertisers have to listen and respond, as
well as target message s to audiences.
 The medium is complicated and fast-changing.
 Verbosity is a killer.

 The challenge for copywriters is to

understand the user’s situation (some visit for
detailed information) and design messages
that fit the user’s needs.

 i.e. web copywriters must be able to write

catchy phrases for banners; as well as
traditional ad copy; brochures, catalogs, etc…
 Banner ads are the most common form of online
advertising:
 image-based advertisements that often appear in the
side, top, and bottom sections of websites. They can
range widely in terms of size, design, and function.

 They contain text, images, animation, etc.

 Vivid graphics and clever phrases grab attention

of surfers.
 Other tools to grab attention of surfers:
 Offering a deal – promise a discount or freebie
 Using an involvement device – contest or challenge
 Changing the offer frequently – maybe daily.
“nowness” attracts users.
 Keeping the writing succinct – short attention spans
of surfers
 Focusing surfers’ attention – ask provocative
questions or offer useful knowledge
 Using the advertisement – to solicit opinions and
information from surfers as part of the research and
offer a reward.
 Must include company or product name

 Must be entertaining and include animation,

sound, colour, provocative headlines,
emotional appeal, interactivity.

 They can also include promotional incentives

such as gifts etc. to motivate visitors.
 Games (interactive ads that can be played like a game)
 Collect badams on your screen to put in a Horlicks drink for the
little sultan
 Break a brick to reveal the new features of a Samsung phone
 Smash a mountain to get tickets to the latest movie (Manjhi)

 Pop-up windows
 Daughter windows
 An ad that runs in a separate ad window associated with a
concurrently displayed banner.

 Side frames
 All of a copywriter’s talent will do no good if the audience cannot
understand the “magic words”.

 This gets particularly complicated in global brand communication.

 Language affects the presentation of the message.

 English – more economical; lacks subtlety
 Greek, Chinese, French – more subtle
 French – occupies more space

 Standardizing the copy content by translating the words into the

language of the foreign market is fraught with possible
communication blunders.

 International campaigns are not translated word for word.

 Good copywriting works well in any medium.

 However, the key objective in any ad would be to

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

 The most enduring principle is that in a Big Idea, the

meaning emerges from the way the words (chapter
13) and images (chapter 14) reinforce each other.

 We will explore the role of visual communication in

the next chapter (chapter 14).