Ad Writing 101 — Whiskey Optional

Assuming you’ve completed your SWOT analysis, have chosen the product or service with a unique proposition, and have a clear target audience as detailed in…

Assuming you’ve completed your SWOT analysis, have chosen the product or service with a unique proposition, and have a clear target audience as detailed in your creative brief, there are a few basic components that should accompany nearly every ad campaign.

STEP ONE: A KILLER CONCEPT
Lock the creative team up in a room, explain the project at hand, and let them work their weird magic on coming up with a unique concept. Unfortunately, our HR Department isn’t too keen on the Mad Men method of drinking whiskey on the job. So an alternative method to imbibing is reviewing the competitors’ advertising efforts for inspiration and discovering a unique angle they may have missed. The key is being able to address each item outlined in the creative brief, and delivering the message in a memorable and action-producing way that aligns with your brand.

While developing a variety of themes or headlines is a good start, a point to remember when it comes to choosing a concept is that it needs to have legs. This means that it can stand the test of time and variation. There’s not always a clear timeline on how long an ad series may run and, if it’s as good as it should be, clients may want to apply it to unforeseen situations. If you can come up with five rough versions of the ad during your initial exploration, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to develop strong final ads when the time comes.

STEP TWO: FLUSH IT OUT
In advertising’s Mad Men era, long-form copy reigned supreme. But as our attention spans continue to wane, there’s an increased importance in the ability of the headline and imagery to sell. Most often the headline and image will work to catch the reader’s attention and pique their interest enough to check out the supportive subhead, which gives a clearer idea of just what is being offered. Should it be relevant to the reader, the body copy must work to not only inform, but also to carry out the ad’s theme in an entertaining way.

STEP THREE: WRAP IT UP
After completing the body copy with a clear and compelling call to action, the ad is most often finished with a consistent tagline that is either unique to the campaign or is consistent with brand messaging.If the tagline is tied to the company, designers typically layout the ad with the tag near the logo. If it’s a tag unique to the campaign, it most likely will not take the form of a design element, but instead gets worked into the call to action, or as the cherry on top of the body copy’s message. Either way, the tagline must serve as a consistent reminder of what the product, service, or company is all about.

STEP FOUR: WAIT, DOES THIS MAKE SENSE?
After all that time cooped up with other quirky and creative minds, you’ll want to make sure the ads make sense in the real world. A good way to test the series is to show them to someone with no knowledge of the project. If they get it, you’re in business. If not, you have some pointers on what needs to be fixed.