Tweet
copywriting and changes in the last decade
Copywriting in the advertising profession has undergone some serious changes over the decades. Way back in 30s and 40s, copy was king. It wasn't particularly smart of savvy, it used a lot of puns and it often just stated the name and benefit of the product or service.
Headlines like "Do you smoke the cigarette that satisfies?" and "How's your breath today?" were the norm. Usually, the ads featured long copy explaining (and sometimes over-explaining) the features and benefits. Outrageous claims could be made with no fear of litigation. Cigarettes were refreshing and good for you. Soda was filled with vitamins. Women knew their place and it was always in the kitchen.
The Game Changer - Mr. Bill Bernbach.
Things stayed this way until a gentleman called Bill Bernbach came along. Before Bernbach, copywriters and art directors didn't work together on projects. They rarely consulted. The copy for the ad, and the headline, was typed up and sent to another department, where an art director would "make it pretty" and get it ready for press.
Bernbach thought two heads would be better for one. He created teams of copywriters and art directors, and his agency Doyle Dane Bernbach started producing ads that turned the industry on its head. "Think Small" for the Volkswagen Beetle was honest and open. "We're No. 2, So We Try Harder" for Avis was a game-changer. DDB turned a negative into a positive in a way that no one ever thought possible. This was the result of copywriters and art directors working as teams. It's often referred to as the Creative Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s.
The 1980s and 1990s Presented New Challenges
In the 1980s, often considered the golden age of advertising for many reasons, the work was outstanding. Copy and art direction were working in harmony to create some of the most memorable print, outdoor and broadcast ads ever made. This was the era that spawned the infamous 1984 spot for Apple.
But in the 1990's, the role of the copywriter began to change again. Long copy had dominated advertising for decades. As with anything that dominates, it eventually falls. And this was the case with copy. Headlines were still clever and eye-catching, but the visuals were now taking up much more importance. And the body copy? That was becoming just a few sentences.
The Wilderness Years for Copywriters
By the time the year 2000 came around, the term "copywriter" should really have become obsolete. Copy, real copy, with headlines and paragraphs of persuasive text, had taken a complete backseat to visual gags. Headlines took too much time to read. Body copy? Forget about it. What the busy, ad-savvy consumer needed was a quick, clever visual with a logo in the bottom corner.
Now that's not to say copywriters were sat in the corner of an office playing Tetris while the art directors and designers did all the work. Not at all. The role of the copywriter had changed to such an extent that it was a far more visually demanding job. It was no longer about a clever turn of phrase. It actually required the copywriter and art director to work even closer together, with clever headlines becoming clever visuals. Award shows gave out gongs to those agencies that could get across the message in the fewest words.
Copy Makes a Comeback
Now, in 2011, things are only just starting to turn around. Again. The copywriter once again has to shift his or her thinking. In this age of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Guerilla and various other "unconventional" advertising media, writers and art directors have to find new ways to get the message out there. Words are back. Images are still strong, but the days of the visual-only ads are starting to fade away. And a good thing, too.
Copywriters have to once again look to words as the motivation. But now, it's not just about what words to use, or how to use them, but also where and when. With so many outlets available to consumers, and with thousands of messages bombarding them every day, these are difficult choices for the writers and art directors to make. A great book to guide you through these times is "Hey Whipple, Squeeze This" by Luke Sullivan. I highly recommend it.
Copy has made a comeback. It's not what it used to be though. And it will no doubt have another facelift as technology continues to push the boundaries of advertising.
Usage of short messaging service (SMS) language has grown beyond mobile phones to include other communication mediums like email, chat, etc. While there is no specific grammar for the language, some of the words are understood universally, and there are others which are frequently misinterpreted. Over the years, advertising has influenced popular culture as much as the other way around.
In such a scenario, Campaign India spoke with a few industry people to understand the usage of this lingo in mainstream advertising and whether we will see a growing trend in this context. While most of them agree that the language is suited for young audiences, some of them had their reservations about its usage in mainstream communication.
Sabuj Sengupta, associate vice president and senior creative director, JWT India feels that SMS lingo is a very urban phenomenon. “It is very important for brands to have engaging communication and I feel that it will never be able to capture the brand’s thoughts completely. If the communication is directed only towards the youth, it is a fine idea but I have my reservations about its usage for mass audiences,” he explained.
Sharing a similar point of view, D Ramakrishna, founder, Cartwheel Creatives, said, “SMS language can be used to have a better connect with the young audiences as they are constantly using it as part of their daily lingo. Moreover, this kind of differentiated communication breaks the clutter as the differently used words grab more eyeballs, especially in the OOH space which is a crowded medium.”
Kiran Khalap, founder, Chlorophyll Communications points out that the language is adopted not just by the marketers, but also by others including schools, pop-singers and even parents. “The language has to be used with audiences who understand it,” he added.On his reservations about the use of sms lingo in advertising today, Ambarish Ray, vice president, Metal Communications said, “If you are talking about a core audience that has been brought up in an SMS generation, then you may very well have an interesting conversation with them through it. But, at times marketers and advertisers are generally very quick to follow trends before evaluating them completely. If the language is used such wherein using ‘clr’ instead of ‘colour’ or ‘u’ instead of ‘you’ then automatically the brand shall be perceived and translated as youth, which is not the right definition in my opinion.”
Josy Paul, chairman and chief creative officer, BBDO India also questioned the relevance of using SMS language in brand communication today.
He explained, “I would like to understand the reason for the use. If it is to connect with the youth by using the language they use, in my opinion it’s not so exciting - as you are just mimicking the language and not giving any fresh twist to it.”
Headlines like "Do you smoke the cigarette that satisfies?" and "How's your breath today?" were the norm. Usually, the ads featured long copy explaining (and sometimes over-explaining) the features and benefits. Outrageous claims could be made with no fear of litigation. Cigarettes were refreshing and good for you. Soda was filled with vitamins. Women knew their place and it was always in the kitchen.
The Game Changer - Mr. Bill Bernbach.
Things stayed this way until a gentleman called Bill Bernbach came along. Before Bernbach, copywriters and art directors didn't work together on projects. They rarely consulted. The copy for the ad, and the headline, was typed up and sent to another department, where an art director would "make it pretty" and get it ready for press.
Bernbach thought two heads would be better for one. He created teams of copywriters and art directors, and his agency Doyle Dane Bernbach started producing ads that turned the industry on its head. "Think Small" for the Volkswagen Beetle was honest and open. "We're No. 2, So We Try Harder" for Avis was a game-changer. DDB turned a negative into a positive in a way that no one ever thought possible. This was the result of copywriters and art directors working as teams. It's often referred to as the Creative Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s.
The 1980s and 1990s Presented New Challenges
In the 1980s, often considered the golden age of advertising for many reasons, the work was outstanding. Copy and art direction were working in harmony to create some of the most memorable print, outdoor and broadcast ads ever made. This was the era that spawned the infamous 1984 spot for Apple.
But in the 1990's, the role of the copywriter began to change again. Long copy had dominated advertising for decades. As with anything that dominates, it eventually falls. And this was the case with copy. Headlines were still clever and eye-catching, but the visuals were now taking up much more importance. And the body copy? That was becoming just a few sentences.
The Wilderness Years for Copywriters
By the time the year 2000 came around, the term "copywriter" should really have become obsolete. Copy, real copy, with headlines and paragraphs of persuasive text, had taken a complete backseat to visual gags. Headlines took too much time to read. Body copy? Forget about it. What the busy, ad-savvy consumer needed was a quick, clever visual with a logo in the bottom corner.
Now that's not to say copywriters were sat in the corner of an office playing Tetris while the art directors and designers did all the work. Not at all. The role of the copywriter had changed to such an extent that it was a far more visually demanding job. It was no longer about a clever turn of phrase. It actually required the copywriter and art director to work even closer together, with clever headlines becoming clever visuals. Award shows gave out gongs to those agencies that could get across the message in the fewest words.
Copy Makes a Comeback
Now, in 2011, things are only just starting to turn around. Again. The copywriter once again has to shift his or her thinking. In this age of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Guerilla and various other "unconventional" advertising media, writers and art directors have to find new ways to get the message out there. Words are back. Images are still strong, but the days of the visual-only ads are starting to fade away. And a good thing, too.
Copywriters have to once again look to words as the motivation. But now, it's not just about what words to use, or how to use them, but also where and when. With so many outlets available to consumers, and with thousands of messages bombarding them every day, these are difficult choices for the writers and art directors to make. A great book to guide you through these times is "Hey Whipple, Squeeze This" by Luke Sullivan. I highly recommend it.
Copy has made a comeback. It's not what it used to be though. And it will no doubt have another facelift as technology continues to push the boundaries of advertising.
Usage of short messaging service (SMS) language has grown beyond mobile phones to include other communication mediums like email, chat, etc. While there is no specific grammar for the language, some of the words are understood universally, and there are others which are frequently misinterpreted. Over the years, advertising has influenced popular culture as much as the other way around.
In such a scenario, Campaign India spoke with a few industry people to understand the usage of this lingo in mainstream advertising and whether we will see a growing trend in this context. While most of them agree that the language is suited for young audiences, some of them had their reservations about its usage in mainstream communication.
Sabuj Sengupta, associate vice president and senior creative director, JWT India feels that SMS lingo is a very urban phenomenon. “It is very important for brands to have engaging communication and I feel that it will never be able to capture the brand’s thoughts completely. If the communication is directed only towards the youth, it is a fine idea but I have my reservations about its usage for mass audiences,” he explained.
Sharing a similar point of view, D Ramakrishna, founder, Cartwheel Creatives, said, “SMS language can be used to have a better connect with the young audiences as they are constantly using it as part of their daily lingo. Moreover, this kind of differentiated communication breaks the clutter as the differently used words grab more eyeballs, especially in the OOH space which is a crowded medium.”
Kiran Khalap, founder, Chlorophyll Communications points out that the language is adopted not just by the marketers, but also by others including schools, pop-singers and even parents. “The language has to be used with audiences who understand it,” he added.On his reservations about the use of sms lingo in advertising today, Ambarish Ray, vice president, Metal Communications said, “If you are talking about a core audience that has been brought up in an SMS generation, then you may very well have an interesting conversation with them through it. But, at times marketers and advertisers are generally very quick to follow trends before evaluating them completely. If the language is used such wherein using ‘clr’ instead of ‘colour’ or ‘u’ instead of ‘you’ then automatically the brand shall be perceived and translated as youth, which is not the right definition in my opinion.”
Josy Paul, chairman and chief creative officer, BBDO India also questioned the relevance of using SMS language in brand communication today.
He explained, “I would like to understand the reason for the use. If it is to connect with the youth by using the language they use, in my opinion it’s not so exciting - as you are just mimicking the language and not giving any fresh twist to it.”
Comment