Rarely have I encountered clients who become furious over word choices, but it does happen. I was working on an ad for a company in human resources, and used the phrase “to complement your staff.” Upon reviewing it, the client changed the largest word in that sentence to “compliment.” I changed it back, and the client took a vertical leap into his ceiling.
SKIP THE SHORTHAND
A local car repair job has one of those changeable signs, and this week they were promoting a special on something called LOF. I’ve eaten lox, but not lof. Or maybe it’s an animal of some sort.
DO YOU PARLEZ-VOUS?
People like to stick foreign-language phrases and expressions into copy because they think it makes them appear to be intelligent and sophisticated, n’est-ce pas? And it can, except when they either don’t understand the phrase or are unable to spell it correctly.
MOLLY & BUSH’S MANHOOD (RATED PG-13)
Used book sales are one of the joys of life, because they appeal to two corners of my personality – the reader and the cheapskate. A recent find was a collection of Molly Ivins’s best columns. A native Texan, Molly was one of the sharpest, most fearless, most acerbic political writers of our time, and wherever she is, I’m sure she verified that there was a source of good bourbon before she agreed to go there.
In a column written during then-Vice President Bush’s 1988 presidential campaign, she recounted his tendency to activate his mouth in front of reporters before his brain was fully engaged (an affliction that must have been genetic). It’s a cautionary tale for politicians and writers alike about choosing your words and expressions most carefully.
A GHOST OF A CHANCE TO PROMOTE YOUR ORGANIZATION
Looking for a new way to promote your organization and build credibility among your audiences? Perhaps you need to find a ghost. No, I’m not suggesting you tag along with Scooby-Doo and Shaggy to a creepy island (besides, we know that the caretaker did it). Instead, consider the marketing value of ghostwritten stories.
KIDNEY THIEVES, TOILET SPIDERS AND SHORT COPY
Did you know that medical students are drugging visitors in a popular tourist spot and stealing their kidneys? Or that the toilets in a major U.S. airport are teeming with venomous spiders? Or that people don’t read anymore, so you need to keep your copy as short as possible?
MEANINGFUL IS FAR MORE POWERFUL THAN POWERFUL
Think that sending a more powerful message is the best way to get a rise out of your audience? It isn’t. Power focuses on the message, while the most effective communication focuses on the audience.
What people call “powerful” is often a form of communication by intimidation — and typically offers little more than puffery that people see right through. So much so-called “powerful” language has actually become trite, meaningless, and just plain weak through overuse.
YOU REALLY SHOULDN’T BE WRITING YOUR OWN COPY
No, I’m not questioning your ability to write. I’m suggesting that it may not make sense for you to handle your own writing projects. Why? Several reasons:
WANT TO BE LOUD AND CLEAR? WRITE FOR THE EAR
People accustomed to writing for the eye often don’t realize that writing for the ear demands an entirely different approach.
THAT NOT-SO-FRESH FEELING
I entered the advertising industry at about the same time that women began to play a much bigger role in the field. It was long enough ago that the only way for a woman to break in was behind a typewriter (yes, we still used those) as a secretary (yes, we still called them that). I don’t ever remember men being asked about their typing speed during job interviews.
As in so many other fields, the old boys were terrified about the effect these chicks and broads would have on their profession, but looking back, I think that women may have been the best thing to happen to advertising.