Copywriting and Design

Copywriting:
The Language of Advertising

Four types of ads in which words are crucial

If the message is complicated
If the ad is for a high-involvement product
Information that needs definition and explanation
If a message tries to convey abstract qualities

Copywriter
The person who shapes and sculpts the words in an ad

Advertising Writing Style

Copy should be as simple

as possible
Should have a clear focus
and try to convey only on
e selling point
Every word counts; space
and time are expensive

Practical Tips
Be concise
Be single-minded
Be specific
Get personal
Keep a single focus
Be controversial
Be original
Use variety
Use imaginative descriptio
n

Copywriting for Print

Display copy

Elements readers see in t

heir initial scanning

Body copy

Elements that are designe

d to be read and absorbe
d

The Headline
Key element in print advertising
Conveys the main message
Works with the visual to get attention and communicate creati
ve concept

How to Write Headlines

A good headline will attract those

who are prospects

The headline must work in combin

ation with the visual to stop and gr
ab the readers attention

The headline must identify the product and bran

d, and start the sale
The headline should lead readers into the body c
opy

Types of Headlines

Direct: Tell your prospect exactly whats coming

Learn How to Write Content Search Engines Can Find

Indirect: Use curiosity to raise a question in the readers mind.

Fresh Minds Works Best

News: If your product or service is newsworthy offer it in your headline

Announcing a cure for

How to: With over 7,000 book titles starting with How To you cant go wro
ng with this one. If you ever get stuck, try adding how to in front of your h
eadline
How to Increase Conversions

Question:Ask an industry or market specific question but be careful when

using this one. The best types of questions to ask are questions which get
your prospect involved.
Has Your Website Traffic Dropped?

Types of Headlines

Command: this tells your customers what to do encourage action by als

o offering a benefit
Stop Wasting Marketing Dollars

Reason Why: give your prospect reasons why they should read your articl
e
25 Reasons to Get Vegetarian

Testimonial: use excerpts from testimonials to write winning headlines.

Great Looking Proposals in Minutes

Benefit:Benefits sell, features dont. Know your market well so the benefit
s you are writing about resonate.
Drive Qualified Traffic at a Lower Cost

Guarantee:State a desirable benefit and guarantee results or other benefi

ts be sure you can back up your promises
Generate 100 Leads in 60 days or its FREE

How to Write Other Display Copy

Captions

Have the second-highest readership a

nd serve an information function

Subheads

Sectional headlines used to break up

a large block of copy

Taglines

Short, catchy, memorable phrases us

ed at the end of an ad to complete th
e creative idea

Slogans

Repeated from ad to ad as part of a c

ampaign or long-term brand identity
effort

How to Write Body Copy

Body

copy

The

text of the ad
Primary role is to maintain the interest of the reader
Lead

paragraph

The

first paragraph of the body copy

Where people test the message and see if they want to r
ead it
Closing

paragraph

Refers

back to the creative concept and wraps up the Bi

g Idea
Call to action

Print Media Requirements

All media in the print category

all use the same copy element
s

The way these elements are us

Newspapers

ed varies with the objective for

using the medium

Copy does not have to work as hard to catch audiences attenti

on

Straightforward and informative

Writing is brief

Print Media Requirements

Magazines

Better quality ad production

Ads can be more informative a

nd carry longer copy

Directories
Use a headline that focuses on the service or st
ores personality
Little space for explanations

Print Media Requirements

Posters and Outdoor

Primarily visual

Words try to catch the consumers

attention and lock in ideas

An effective poster marries words

with visuals

Product Literature
Also called collateral
Used in support of an ad campaign
Typically a heavy copy format

Principles of Effective Pri

nt Advertising

Principles of Effective Print Advertisin

g

Establishing an Objective

Sell to the Objective

Designing the Ad

Evaluate the Ad

Establishing the Objective

Main selling idea should be aimed at the objective; resist the

temptation to add more
Support the main selling idea with all elements of the ad
Headlines
Visuals
Copy

Sell to the Objective

Sell the merits of the Product or Service

Whats in it for me?

Emphasize benefits, not facts

Designing the Ad

Design
KISS

for Easy Reading

Solve

a problem
Call to action
Dont try to cram everything in
Dont overfancify your design
Avoid:
Dark

backgrounds
Small headlines
Difficult to read fonts
Unrelated images
Atypical layouts

Designing the Ad

Illustrate your product in use

Show what the product can do for the reader

Avoid static graphics showing whole lines of products

Carefully implemented Humor and Shock value

Youre probably not as funny as you think you are

Humor or shock may/may not works toward your objective

Evaluate the Ad
Repeat

a Successful Ad; Drop an Unsuccessful One

Repetition
Good

ads wear out a lot slower than you think

Because

Dont

you are tired of it doesnt mean your audience is.

Blame Ad Placement for Poor Performance

Design

has far more to do with the success than getting it o

n cover.

is good, to a point

Designing for Print

First responsibility of the art director is to choose visual elements us

ed in ad or commercial to produce a layout.
Plan that imposes an orderly arrangement that is aesthetically pleasing.
Map, the art directors blueprint.
Communication tool for others so that the idea can be discussed and revised.
Many ways to lay out an ad; different ways create different feelings about the prod
uct.

Layout (Handout)
The General Steps in a Layout Are:

Thumbnail Sketches
Preliminary Sketches

Rough Layouts

Ads Done to Size Without Attention to Looks

Semicomps

Layout Drawn to Size, Used for Presentations

Comprehensives

Art is Finished, Designed to Impress Audience

Mechanical

Largely Computer Based and Generated to Guide

Color Separations

Orly Chantilly Peach Creative

Process
(A)Thumbnail Sketches These ideas for Orly were developed by the
creative team late at night over Diet Coke and Chinese chicken salad.
(B)Rough Layout Transitioning to legs and painted toenails, the layout
begins to give some glamour and personality to the product.
(C) Semicomps Type, color, and tagline are still not finalized, but layout is
more complete.
(D) Comprehensives Tagline approved. The illustrator has added more glitz
to the layout.
(E) Mechanicals The digital file before retouching. Client still made small
changes at this stage, but had approved the ads layout and copy.
(F) Final High-Resolution Film The film house had to retouch, creating
separate files for the legs and background image so that the proportion of the

How to Write Radio Copy

Must be simple enough for consumers to grasp, but intriguin

g enough to prevent them from switching the station

Ability of the listener to remember facts is difficult

Theater of the mind

The story is visualized in the listeners imagination

How to Write Radio Copy

Radio Guidelines

Voice
Music

Sound effects

See radio script in ha

ndout packet

Keep it personal

Speak to listeners interests

Wake up the inattentive

Make it memorable

Include call to action

Create image transfer

NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION OF CRUELTY T

O CHILDREN

How to Write Television Copy

Moving action makes television so much more engaging t

han print
The challenge is to fuse the images with the words to pre
sent a creative concept and a story
Storytelling is one way copywriters can present action in
a television commercial more powerfully than in other m
edia

Tools of Television Copywriting

Video

Audio

Voice-over

Off camera

Other TV Tools

Talent
Announcers
Spokespersons
Character types
Celebrities

The copywriter must describe all of these in the

TV script

Scripts and Storyboards

Script

The written version of the commercials plan

Prepared by the copywriter
See handouts

Storyboard

The visual plan or layout of the commercial

Prepared by the art director
See handouts