Basics Advertising: Copywriting: The Creative Process of Writing Text for Advertisements or Publicity Material

178 Pages·2008·34.79 MB·English

by  Rob Bowdery

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Rob Bowderyis a professional BASICS ADVERTISING: Includes work by: oA Includes work by:
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copywriter with 25 years’ marketing Copywriting Lowe London yIC Lowe London
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Publishing’s Academia imprint comprises T
Write Angle Creative Communication. a collection of five titles: Copywriting, Sequoia IS Rob Bowdery Sequoia
Karmarama IN Karmarama
Clients have included: the Advertising The Creative Process, Brand Building, G
Family Noise Family Noise
Standards Authority, Bovis Homes, Communication Strategyand Account Copywriting
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Cadbury Schweppes, Eagle Star, Planning, each of which represents
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English Heritage, the Environment Agency, a fundamental aspect of advertising.
College Design 1 College Design
Hilton Hotels, Microsoft, Philips These titles offer an essential introduction
Target Direct Target Direct
Electronics, Yellow Pages and Zurich to the subject and form a detailed CC
Guy Robertson Partnership Guy Robertson Partnership
Financial Services – among many others. reference tool for students of advertising, oo
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marketing and creative arts subjects. pp
Rob is also employed on a part-time basis FEREF yy FEREF
as a Senior Lecturer in Advertising at Basics Advertising: Copywritingprovides Ogilvy and Mather ww Ogilvy and Mather
the University of Gloucestershire. a comprehensive teaching resource Beattie McGuiness Bungay n. the creative process Beattie McGuiness Bungay
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exploring the act of copywriting and Different Kettle ii of writing text for Different Kettle
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the role of the copywriter in the overall Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw ii advertisements or Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw
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advertising process. The book highlights Phosphorus gg publicity material Phosphorus
the importance of being able to think Golley Slater Golley Slater
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both verbally and visually, since the words and Frame. and Frame.
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and images that occur within creative
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ad concepts often arise together, and
Where you find copywriters BB
even image-based ideas are often
Copywriters as communicators oo
dreamt up by a conceptual copywriter ww ava publishing sa
Creating an emotional response
rather than a designer or art director. [email protected]
Understanding your product dd
www.avabooks.ch
The book contains numerous visual Knowing your audience ee
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examples, which show the variety of work Adopting the right tone of voice
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that copywriters are involved in, plus Improving your language skills
accompanying explanatory text to help Generating creative ideas
the reader understand just why these ads Humour in advertising

work so well. The book also contains Rules and restrictions
practical exercises – as well as tips and Shock tactics
guidance on how to generate ideas Creating effective copy
and think creatively – all designed to Creativity and originality
inspire the reader to produce more Writing for foreign markets
effective advertising copy.
Upon approval Sharon CMYKT
NamPe laenasde D saigten:: Basic Design - Copywriting
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Rob Bowdery
Copywriting
n. the creative process
of writing text for
advertisements or
publicity material

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An AVA Book
Published by AVA Publishing SA
Rue des Fontenailles 16
Case Postale
1000 Lausanne 6
Switzerland
Tel: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Distributed by Thames & Hudson (ex-North America)
181a High Holborn
London WC1V 7QX
United Kingdom
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
www.thamesandhudson.com
Distributed in the USA & Canada by:
Watson-Guptill Publications
770 Broadway
New York, New York 10003
USA
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
www.watsonguptill.com
English Language Support Office
AVA Publishing (UK) Ltd.
Tel: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Copyright © AVA Publishing SA 2008
All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,

without permission of the copyright holder.
ISBN 2-940373-68-X and 978-2-940373-68-0
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Design by David Shaw
Production by
AVA Book Production Pte. Ltd., Singapore
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
All reasonable attempts have been made to trace,
clear and credit the copyright holders of the images
reproduced in this book. However, if any credits have
been inadvertently omitted, the publisher will endeavour
to incorporate amendments in future editions.
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Contents
How to get the most out of this book 6
Introduction 8
1 Writing with purpose 10 2 Understanding your product 26
Where you find copywriters 12 Creativity starts with research 28
Copywriters as communicators 16 Applying your product knowledge 34
Creating an emotional response 20 Picking up on the details 40

3 Knowing your audience 44 4 Mastering the language 60
Staying on target 46 Improving your language skills 62
Can you rely on market research? 52 Technical assistance 66
Adopting the right tone of voice 56 Knowing the rules 70
and when to break them
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4 5
5 Sharpening your style 82 6 Rules and restrictions 106
The art and craft of copywriting 84 Telling the truth 108
Generating creative ideas 96 Bending the rules 114
Humour in advertising 100 Jargon and gibberish 120

7 Creating effective copy 126 8 Advertising around the world 162
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Creativity and originality 128 Writing for foreign markets 164 bo
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Advertising in unusual places 144 Speaking an international language 166 of thi
Writing to fit 154 Lost in translation 170 ut
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Conclusion 172 g
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Bibliography 173 w t
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Glossary 174
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Acknowledgements and credits 176 ent
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How to get the most out of this book
This book aims to provide you with a There will be practical pointers along
detailed introduction to the art and craft the way, providing you with tips and
of copywriting. Instead of just offering techniques that can help improve your
a theoretical approach, I’m going to writing skills – and boost your powers
be showing you some examples of of persuasion.
good advertising and analysing how
And to get you thinking and working
and why the ideas and text in these ads
harder, I’m going to include some
work so well.
creative writing exercises where you can
In addition to traditional forms of print develop your conceptual cleverness and
advertising, such as billboards, press ads sharpen your verbal dexterity.
and mail packs, I’ll be reviewing selected
TV and radio advertising and looking at
modern media communications such as
websites and ambient advertising.
Adopting the right tone of voice 56 57
Now it’s your turn
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likely to appeal to them, you now different styles. Can you tell the How can you make the story more
need to decide how you’re going to subtle difference? immediate, punchier, snappier? What
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their ability to adopt a different persona, a mean temperature of 24 degrees Celsius Will you choose to emphasise just
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tend to act in front of different audiences? government warnings of hosepipe bans and seek out the comic possibilities in
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Knowing your audience oadrTohpete Dda bilyy TMhaei lSvuenrsvuesrsTuhse TGhuea Trdimiaens, ,etc. RToahobjotehufyiu gdl vetptr ohhrtinf ehyifiatcne eo:alekrirusree iefnt n oci agcmtrrn e asayadautbon ytdtuoeylheir u eetn sahtnye. desc’wru veersceis gtphr.aht aIirttsgp citeneoatgrnnes ed Can you rely on market research?
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6 7
Headings Images Word-check
Prominent section headings A wide range of successful Useful definitions
to help you quickly locate adverts and powerful images of key words and
a topic of interest. chosen to illustrate the advertising phrases.
principles discussed.
Speaking an international language 166 167
Left:
This effective concept for
low-price French mobile phone
packages used a comic image
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Now it’s your turn Summaries Chapter navigation hi
Practical exercises to Succinct thought-provoking Clear navigation to of t
test and enhance your commentaries on the help you find your ut
copywriting skills. main text. way around the book. st o
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Captions get t
Revealing explanations o
showing how adverts w t
are made to work. Ho
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Introduction
The role of copywriters And picture this – it’s not enough just to
be good with words. The most successful
Copywriters are the people employed
copywriters are individuals who are as
to supply the text – otherwise known
comfortable with the visual as the verbal.
as copy – that accompanies
the imagery in advertisements. That’s because, in creating advertising
material, we’re trying to establish
But hang on, that’s a bit bland. I think
a connection with our various audiences
I’m underselling our services and th at
through an influential combination
just won’t do in a book on advertising
of imagery andwords.
where I’m meant to be using all our
industry’s powerful and persuasive
promotional techniques.
So let’s try that again.
Copywriters provide an essential
element in the creative process.
Without their clever way with
words, and their ability to
originate ideas, there would be Advertising is all about
no effective advertising. communication. It’s about
getting people to connect with
That sounds a bit more dynamic.
your product or service at some
practical or emotional level.
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8 9
1 Writing with purpose 5 Sharpening your style
An introduction to the role of copywriters: A range of tried and tested techniques
how and where they work and why designed to help you develop a more
it’s important to be able to think both persuasive writing style and organise
verbally and visually. Our chief role is as your material in more effective ways.
communicators of information and ideas You’ll also find some valuable tips on
but it’s also essential that our concepts how to generate creative ideas and how
and text generate emotional responses to use different types of humour to make
in the minds of our audience. your ads more memorable.
2 Understanding your product 6 Rules and restrictions
What you might be asked to promote could There was a time when advertising was
vary from a packet of cereal to an animal free to tell bare-faced lies, whereas now
charity so it pays to research your product we’re encouraged by the Advertising
or service in as much detail as possible. Standards Authority to be more honest –
Only then can you apply that product or risk our ads being pulled. However,
knowledge – and select the right details – there are still some campaigns that
to create powerful concepts and copy. actively seek to shock or offend.
e
3 Knowing your audience 7 Creating effective copy s
o
How well do you know your target An investigation into creativity and originality rp
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audience? Will market research help you with practical examples from selected h p
gain a better understanding? Once you advertising teams whose work exhibits wit
know who you’re talking to – and what all the signs of clever lateral thinking. ng
you want these people to tak e away However, don’t forget that a direct and Writi
from your advert – you’ll be able to straightforward approach sometimes
adopt the appropriate tone of voice proves to be the most persuasive creative n
o
and convey stronger messages. response to an advertising brief. cti
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4 Mastering the language 8 Advertising around the world nt
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Language lies at the heart of copywriting English might be considered a world
k
so it’s a good idea to improve your skills by language but you need to be aware o
o
reading widely. You can also take advantage of the problems you’re bound to face s b
of various forms of practical and technical when you write for foreign markets. hi
assistance. It certainly helps if you know Concepts can get lost in translation, of t
ut
the basic rules of writing – and when with unintended comic effects and o
it’s appropriate to bend or break them. unhappy marketing consequences. ost
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