Simplify, then exaggerate
“Simplify, then exaggerate”.
That's the advice Geoffrey Crowther, the editor of The Economist from 1938 to 1956, used to give to young journalists.
If you think about it, journalism just like copywriting, depends a lot on simplifying complex facts into easy to understand stories.
Both also depend a lot on winning people's attention.
But there's one big difference between journalism and copywriting.
A journalist's job is to report news.
A copywriter’s job is to help brands persuade consumers to buy something (Or do something).
That's a BIG BIG BIG difference.
And that's why copywriting is more than just words and facts on a page (or a screen).
Because at its core, good copywriting always boils down to two things:
1. To distill a product's spiritual essence and reduce it into ONE BIG idea. A BIG idea that signals THE ONE big virtue of using a product.
2. Dramatize a cold, specific, hard product fact or unique quality that presents your BIG idea as impossible to ignore.
Here's an example of what I mean.
Let's imagine you run the UK's Most Ethical Bottled Water Belu. And you want to launch an ad campaign showing your new packaging.
Hard facts: Belu is carbon neutral, that's why Belu doesn't import or export its water. Belu is also a 'not for profit' enterprise, and they donate 100% of their profits to the charity WaterAid.
Now here's what you could say: “Fresh new look, the same old Ethical Bottled Water”
But this sounds a bit bland.
Now read what Creative agency Paul Belford wrote:
"The Rain in Spain should never be sent by plane."
Then the body copy clarifies the BIG idea:
"Or boat or truck for that matter. At Belu, we have one simple rule: We will never import of export water. Because we want to be 100% carbon neutral. And unlike any other bottled water, we donate all our profits to WaterAid. Belu. Made with mineral water and ethics.”
A much more powerful way of dramatizing Belu’s green credentials, no?
Takeaways for your business:
There are 4 techniques you can use to add a bit of extra drama to your BIG idea (pick one only):
Dramatize ONE little known (BUT interesting) product benefit.
Real-World example: Rolls-Royce “At 60 Miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock” ad from 1958.
Dramatize ONE minor product flaw (so you can take advantage of the Pratfall Effect.
Real-World example: Canadian Cough syrup brand Buckley's advertising "It tastes awful. And it works.”
Dramatize ONE well-known product benefit (Hint: functional, emotional, self-expressive or social).
Real-World example: Volvo has the reputation for being super safe. See how they dramatized a well-known emotional benefit (“I feel safe driving a Volvo”) in this Volvo 264 Ad from 1976.
Dramatize an emotion, idea or physical sensation of using/buying/craving your product.
Real-World example: "If you see the signs, you are probably hungry." Outdoor ad campaign created by DDB, Greece for McDonald’s in 2020.
Your pal,
🚀 Founder & Chief Copywriter: teardwn.com
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