|
|
FOND OF AUTORESPONDERS? WRITE 'EM RIGHT!
Autoresponders are one of the most popular forms of marketing today. The reason for this is a simple one: they work. However, writing a truly effective autoresponder series can frustrating, even for the professional marketer. To come up with an...
How To Enhance the Personal Appeal Of Your Sales Letter
Probably the most effective form of advertising is word of mouth. And there is a reason for this. You will more readily take a friend's advice about a product she has used than trust an advertiser's blurb. One of the lofty goals of a great...
How to snag that freelance writing job
So, you want to be a freelance writer. You've scoured the
Internet for the best paying writing jobs, and now you're ready
to apply for some of them. There's just one problem: so are a
few hundred other freelance writers, many of whom have a...
Pumping Up The Emotional Side Of Gizmos, Widgets And Powdered Eggs.
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the byline at the end of this article is included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated. Pumping Up The Emotional Side Of Gizmos,...
Solutions for the Struggling Article Writer
By: Brandie King, Copyright 2004 Are you struggling to come up with new ideas for articles? Whether you are a new or veteran writer, this problem can effectively halt your ability to use this method of promotion. So, to help you overcome this, I...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMMERCIALS THAT CONFUSE, CONFOUND AND SELL NOBODY ANYTHING
I may be missing something, here, but it seems to me that, in advertising terms, the loonies have taken over the asylum. What is getting me all lathered up is the preponderance of TV commercials that go out of their way, not only to confuse their target audience, but also to project an alarming image of their product.
I'll elaborate. The first example is the sad, but fortunately short story of a current tv spot for a company called Debenhams. Now, Debenhams is a large UK department store which has branches in many major cities throughout the country. As such, it has an excellent reputation and an enviable turnover.
Well, this outfit is running a commercial which has two distinct scenes. The first shows a man sitting in a room at a table, and beside him is a back-projection of a pond. As he sweeps an object off the table and into the pond, we see ripples in the water. The second scene is of a young girl in a room and the back projection is of some trees, each carrying a profusion of autumn leaves. As the girl moves around the room, the leaves begin to fall.
So far so good; and as an exercise in special effects this spot is exemplary, because the last thing you'd expect to see in your living room is a pond or a stand of trees.
Anyway, we are now treated to a voice-over which says, to the effect, that if you drop into Debenhams you'll find lots more of the same. My question is: the same what? Throughout this commercial, we are not actually told what it is we are being offered.
I assume it is wallpaper, but I could be wrong - it might be personal back projection.
The second example concerns a new computer from Apple-Mac. The spot opens with an explosion and a man being thrown against a tree. The camera then tracks towards a house, in the side of which is a gaping hole. The camera continues through into the house, showing us debris falling all around and large holes in the walls of successive rooms. We finally track towards a computer, and the voice-over says something like: Introducing the fastest, most powerful computer in the Mac stable.
The message I interpret from this is that the new Apple-Mac is so powerful it
explodes. Not only that, it will probably reduce your home to rubble.
Oh, yeah, I must rush out and buy one of those.
Am I alone in thinking that these two commercials, despite their huge production values, are less than clever? On the one hand, the advertiser neglects to tell us what it is that he's trying to sell. On the other, we have a product that is reminiscent of Mission Impossible and self-destructs when you switch it on.
Given all of this, I'd like to pose a question. When the respective ad agencies presented the storyboards for these commercials to their clients, did nobody on the client side raise a query or two? Like: since we're spending all this money, shouldn't we at least say what we're offering? Or: is it really a sensible idea to associate our computers with explosions?
Of course, it could be that I am missing some wonderful new marketing strategy that will shortly be revealed and will make me look extremely foolish. Though I doubt it. And I doubt it because I saw a beer commercial the other day (Stella Artois, I think), in which a man on a balcony actually spat on the people below. You have to be a very brave advertiser -or a very stupid one -to ally your product to this kind of imagery. And this crudity seems to be more and more prevalent.
I leave you to ponder all of this. Meanwhile, you'll do no better than visit www.wordpower3.com. There, you'll find an e-book that could make your working life a whole lot easier. It contains close to 200 ready-made headlines, taglines, copy openers and clinchers, plus a comprehensive theme-finder that will give you just about every promotional word and phrase you'll ever need.
It's called Word Power III. Buy it and every word you write, will Sell.
About the Author
Patrick Quinn is a copywriter, with 40 years' experience of the advertising business in London, Dublin, Edinburgh and Miami.
Over the years, he has helped win for his clients just about every advertising award worth winning
His published books, include:
The Secrets of Successful Copywriting. The Secrets of Successful Low Budget Advertising. The Secrets of Successful Exhibitions. Word Power.
|
|
|
|
|
Copywriting . Net |
Copywriting . Net. The Internet's copywriting service center for Web and print marketing communications. |
www.copywriting.net |
  |
Copywriting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
As search-engine algorithms get smarter every day, this Search engine optimization (SEO) copywriting is more and more about writing for human visitors as ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
  |
Copywriting - SEO Copywriting - Learn copywriting |
Copywriting .com has just changed hands and will open its doors again in a few weeks. If you'd like to be notified when we launch, please send an email to: ... |
www.copywriting.com |
  |
Copywriting 101 | Copyblogger |
Copywriting 101 Tutorial Copywriting is one of the most essential ... Subscribe to Copyblogger to learn more about copywriting and online marketing. ... |
www.copyblogger.com |
  |
The Copywriting Site - Free information, tips, and tricks on ... |
The Copywriting Site: Here you get free information tips and tricks on copywriting that sells. - Marketing Writing. |
noriainternational.com |
  |
Copywriting courses. Become a copywriter. |
Copywriting courses for copywriters; plus tips on buying copy and hiring a copywriter. |
www.inst.org |
  |
Advertising & Online Copywriting, Search Engine Copywriting ... |
Advertising copywriting and search engine copywriting that impresses your visitors and the engines. |
www.marketingwords.com |
  |
Free tutorials on copywriting, web content, advertising, internet ... |
How to dramatically improve response from your Advertising, Internet marketing, Direct Mail and Web pages with powerful copywriting. |
www.adcopywriting.com |
  |
Copywriting: See what people are saying right now on Technorati |
See all blog posts tagged with copywriting on Technorati. |
www.technorati.com |
  |
Advertising Copywriter, Website Copywriter, SEO Copywriter ... |
Need a copywriter who can really grasp your business? Copywriting for websites, SEO, ads, brochures, articles... Elegant, no-fuss copywriting that really ... |
www.divinewrite.com |
  |
Copywriting |
Every advertising medium is different. And so is copywriting for each element. Business owners can find out what to look for when hiring a copywriter. |
advertising.about.com |
  |
Copywriting Secrets - Master Copywriter - Killer Copy Writing |
FREE E-Course Reveals The Latest Kick-Ass Copywriting Secrets You've Gotta Know! ... "Now You Can Grab The Latest No-BS Advanced Copywriting Secrets That ... |
www.websiteconversionexpert.com |
  |
Text Wizard® Copywriting - UK freelance copywriter, scriptwriter ... |
Plain English with fizz: copywriting that stays on brand and on your mind. UK copywriter. |
www.textwizard.com |
  |
Getting Real: Copywriting is interface design - Signal vs. Noise ... |
Copywriting isn’t something to be left to the guy on your team who writes long ... So, I’m considering adding copywriting to my list of responsibilities, ... |
www.37signals.com |
  |
Amazon.com: Persuasive Online Copywriting: How to Take Your Words ... |
Amazon.com: Persuasive Online Copywriting: How to Take Your Words to the Bank: Books: Bryan Eisenberg,Jeffrey Eisenberg,Lisa T. Davis by Bryan Eisenberg ... |
www.amazon.com |
  |
Michele PW |
Watch your business soar when you put the power of great copywriting, results-driven marketing solutions and amazing creativity to work for your business. |
www.writingusa.com |
  |
Pages tagged with "copywriting" on del.icio.us |
Good Copywriting: A blog about copywriting on the web ... Copywriting tips for online marketing success from Copyblogger · save this. copywriting blog ... |
del.icio.us |
  |
Online Copywriting: Subscribe to the Excess Voice Newsletter |
Online Copywriting: Nick Usborne's Excess Voice newsletter includes dozens of articles and a comprehensive list of resources and reviews for writers of ... |
www.excessvoice.com |
  |
Linda Westphal, Freelance Advertising Copywriter |
Experienced copywriter for direct marketing articles, and advertising tips. Citrus Heights, California. |
www.lindawestphal.com |
  |
Copywriting: Projects on Elance |
Copywriting, Between $250 and $500, 7, 11/29/2006 1:45 AM ... Copywriting, Prefer not to disclose, 0, 12/1/2006 2:41 PM, 6 d, 22 h+, Authentication Status ... |
www.elance.com |
  |
|