Radio and Television Ads : Clever Vs. Annoying
Ever heard or seen a radio or television commercial that you
really liked and actually looked forward to hearing or seeing
again only to be assaulted by another one so annoying it made
you want to heave your radio or television out the window?
What makes one commercial so enjoyable while others seem to be
so abysmal? It's all in the ability to make the listener or
viewer remember the ad in a creative, clever way and I'm about
to give you some advice on how to do just that so read on!
One of the most successful ways of creating clever ads is to add
humor. Unfortunately that's not an easy thing to do as you have
probably heard or seen many commercials try and fail. There is a
fine line between writing a spot people will laugh and identify
with and writing one that falls flat on its face and
unfortunately most spots fall into the latter category. The best
advice on using humor in ads that I can give you is this: hire a
professional who specializes in writing humorous ads. I say this
because the majority of advertisers that attempt to write their
own funny ads fail miserably. The main reason is because it
takes a trained writer to know how to create an ad that includes
not only genuinely funny copy, but also perfect timing and the
right amount of copy needed to pull it off. Having said this, if
you still insist you've written a funny spot for your business
the best way to find out is to read it to some unbiased ears
which means someone other than your wife, husband, or best
friend. Humor in itself is subjective but for the most part if
it's funny they'll laugh, and if they don't get it, even if you
think it's a real knee slapper, it's time to try another
approach. I've written thousands of ads most containing humor
but even I don't know for sure how well they will be received
once they hit the airwaves. Another tricky part about putting
humor in ads is that it takes more time to establish the bit,
which means you have less time for the rest of the copy.
The same rule goes for putting voice impersonations in your
radio ads. I tend to use voice impressions that I or others do
in radio spots from time to time and it can be a real attention
getter. However, this can also backfire as I've heard spots
where voice impersonations were used just for the sake of
putting them in the spot with no real message or tie-in to the
product or service. Once again, this is wasted ad dollars.
You may have heard or seen ads you thought were extremely
annoying and wondered why the advertiser even bothered. What
they've learned is that even bad spots will eventually stick in
the mind with enough repetition. The problem here lies with
whether what ends up sticking is a negative reinforcement.
There's a national jeweler who comes to mind that likes to do
his own radio commercials. His nasally voice and dry as sand
delivery while quite annoying, have become his trademark. So in
essence his annoyance is part of his brand. Successful? Perhaps,
but you'd be hard pressed to get me to shop there.
Remember that besides being clever, your ad has to deliver the
goods. In other words, ads that are clever just for the sake of
being clever won't accomplish much. Have you ever had someone
tell you about a funny spot but when you asked who the ad was
for, they can't remember? That's a case of the copywriter
indulging his or her own cleverness and missing the main point.
Your copy must also give the listener or viewer a reason to call
or come by and most important, remember your name!
Sometimes a "call to action" works well. This could be in the
form of a price point, a special time sensitive sale or a
"radio/TV coupon" in which the listener or viewer is told to
mention they heard or saw the spot for a special price. It could
also involve having the listener or viewer respond immediately
as in, "the first 25 people to call now receive..." however,
make sure your phone lines can handle the response.
In today's world it takes a clever message to be heard, seen,
and remembered above all the mindless advertising banter. And if
done right, all the other ads can become "advertising wallpaper"
for your clever, stand out, ad campaign!