The cheat’s guide to copywriting
Sometimes, when you’re showing creative work to the wider team (especially during a pitch) they like to Marie Kondo it and put it into little piles or categories. “Oh, this idea is all about speed of service” or “This one goes with all the others that are about the company’s heritage” or “This one fits into the ‘how much better the product will make your life’ category”. Well, I only went and did it for copywriting; I’ve created some categories. They’re not hard and fast rules — more like observations. So without further ado, here’s a little cheat sheet. It might help you. Or if you’re like Tim Delaney and you know everything there is to know already, you might still enjoy seeing the patterns that emerge.
1. Add drama
A little bit of drama in a headline can work wonders. Here are a few of my favourite examples:
2. Break the rules
They used to say, don’t start a sentence with the word ‘and’. And when I say ‘they’, I mean a few teachers who probably got the idea from some older teachers, and they got it from…well, it doesn’t matter. The point is, it became a thing. Take a look at this extract from the bible:
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.
And the evening and the morning were the first day.
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, And let it divide the waters from the waters.
Quite a few ‘ands’ right? So forget that rule. They also used to say don’t write a one word paragraph (and by extension, a one word headline). Check out this beauty from Volkswagen, the ad that virtually invented advertising as we know it today:
Incidentally, do you know the story behind the VW campaign? It was the brainchild of Bill Bernbach, a Jewish ad genius, at his New York advertising agency DDB in 1959. The Jewish detail is significant, because the Volkswagen was a car that had been championed by Adolf Hitler, as a sensibly priced car that was affordable for all. (Volks wagen = People car) Don’t forget, at that point, America was still in love with massive cars with tail fins that guzzled petrol. Then along came this small, funny looking German thing with the engine at the back. But that’s where they were clever. Firstly, they put all their prejudices to one side. Then they used the negatives as positives. And boy, were the Volkswagen ads different! Just to put it into context, this is what other car ads looked like at the time:
They also used to say don’t write a headline more than eight to ten words long. So here’s an example of someone totally ignoring that rule. If It’s cross-track they’ve got time to read it.
And this next one is from a campaign that ignored that short headline ‘rule’ time and time again. Up yours rule makers.
And just to stress the point, here are a couple of other examples:
So don’t worry about the headline length. It’s what you do with it that counts.
3. Add a twist to a well-known phrase or saying
‘My son the doctor’ or ‘my son the lawyer’ You’ve heard that phrase, right? So here’s a lovely twist. And straight away, you know the mum is so proud because her son flies a plane for El Al.
Up next, another one from Volkswagen. Again, this is flying in the face of what everyone else was doing at the time: when everyone was buying big status symbols, VW were proclaiming ‘Think small’. It’s different, it’s powerful, it’s clever. And don’t you love the art direction? The car is tiny on the page. Like a bug.
4. Use repetition
Churchill did it: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields…”. Abraham Lincoln did it: “…Of the people, by the people, for the people”. When you repeat words, it can make your writing sound more punchy. Take a look at these examples…
That last one is actually only half the ad. I don’t want to show the image part as it’s very brutal. Google it if you want. And here’s another example from the Leagas Delaney Timberland campaign:
5. Use opposites for tension
Here comes one of the cleverest headlines around. To give you a bit of context, Stella Artois had created a campaign that had the endline: ‘Reassuringly expensive’ (it was a premium lager). Anyway, this was a play on the fact that buying a round was going to cost you a lot of money. Which is why the protagonist is reluctant to stick his hand in his pocket:
Here’s another example that uses opposites to good effect:
6. The rule of three
No it’s not a secret society or a vow the Knights Templar took. Three words just seem to scan well. It gives the phrase more rhythm. Comedians often employ this. A trio of events, or things, is more humorous and satisfying than other numbers. Even Julius Caesar, that well-known raconteur, was in on the act:
Here’s a more current example of the rule of three:
And probably the most famous of them all…
7. Add wit and humour
People remember things that are funny. Well, no sh*t Sherlock. Here are just three examples, but there are zillions more out there:
8. Put some real observations in it
Here’s a Chivas Regal ad from the late, great David Abbott. I think he said it was his favourite ad he ever wrote because it’s so personal. It’s essentially a love letter to his dad. I dare you to read it and not get a lump in your throat. And this one doesn’t even have a headline. Another rule broken.
Or this real life micro observation from David Ogilvy:
And here’s one of my personal favourites from the National Maritime Museum…
9. Have an angle
Journalists often employ this technique — they’ll tell a story from a different perspective to make it more vital and alive. You can do it too. For example, if you’re writing about a toaster, write it from a piece of toast’s point of view. If you’re writing for the RSPCA, write about it from a dog’s point of view. Actually, they did that a while back with a radio campaign. One of the spots started off with a chirpy voice that said something like: “Best friend has put me in a sack. I don’t know why. We must be going off on an adventure…” Brings a lump to the throat doesn’t it? Here’s an angle Saatchi’s took, by using a pregnant man:
10. Keep it simple
Remember what Einstein said: “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough”. Learn about the product. Do the research. Your job is to strip away the chaff and get to the kernel — find that grain of truth that makes your piece of communication more persuasive and more memorable. Then say one thing and say it well. And when the clients say oh, can you just mention this…and this…it’s time to get all medieval on them.
Andrew Singleton, Lead Copywriter and Content Strategist at Critical Mass, London
