Copywriting
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1
Key Points
 Explain the basic style used for advertising copy
 Describe the various elements of a print ad
 Explain the message characteristics and tools of
radio advertising
 Discuss the major elements of television
commercials
 Discuss how Web advertising is written
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-2
Copywriting:
The Language of Advertising
 Four types of ads in which words are
crucial
1. If the message is complicated
2. If the ad is for a high-involvement product
(more info, the better means using words)
3. Information that needs definition and
explanation e.g. computer, camera, wireless
phone
4. If a message tries to convey abstract
qualities e.g. justice & quality
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Copywriting for Print
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Copy elements:
1) Display copy : Elements readers see in their initial scanning
2) Body copy (text): Elements that are designed to be read & absorbed
1)
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DISPLAY COPY
Headline: a phrase or a sentence tt serves as the opening of the ad
Subheads: used in longer cop blocks, subheads begin a new section or
the copy
Taglines: a short phrase that wraps up the key idea or creative concept
that usu. Appears at the end of the body copy
Slogans: a distinctive catchy phrase that serves as a motto for a
campaign, brand or co. (used from one ad to another) (it can be used as
a tagline)
Call out: sentence that floats around the visual
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Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-4
Good headlines
-attract the target audience & filter out nonprospects
- Work w/ visuals to stop the audience (gain
attention)
- Identify the p/d, the brand or the main
selling message
- Lead the reader to the body copy
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-5
Copywriting for Print (contd.)
2) Body copy (text) : it is the message/info. of the ad.
- Captions: a sentence or short piece of copy that
explains what u are looking at in a photo or illustration
- Call to action: This is a line at the end of an ad tt
encourages people to respond & gives info.. On how to
respond e.g. visit www., contact at no.xxxxxxx
- Lead paragraph: the first paragraph of the body copy
-Where people usu. test the message & see if they want to
read it
- Closing paragraph: refers back to the creative concept &
wraps up the big idea
Creative job
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Creative Roles
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Copywriters and art directors develop the creative concept
and draft the execution of the advertising idea
The Creative Person
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In advertising, creativity is both a job description and a goal
Art director: taking care of art direction and visual.
Copy writer: taking care of verbal writing. Copywriter
-The person who shapes and sculpts the words (copy, tone of
voice) in an ad
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-7
Creative job
Creative
Characteristics
 Problem solving
 Ability to visualize
 Openness to new
experiences
 Conceptual thinking
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-8
Writing for specific media- Print
Newspaper : the copy should be
straightforward & informative
Magazine ad is longer, contains more detail,
has higher quality reproduction
Directories require copy that focuses on the
service
Product literature also called “collateral”
(brochure) used as support of an ad
campaign
Posters & Outdoor words try to catch the
consumer’s attention, for poster, copy should
go along with the visual
Consideration; diff print medium requires different style of copy but
they use the same copy elements
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-9
How to Write Radio Copy
 Must be simple enough for consumers to grasp,
but intriguing enough to prevent them from
switching the station
 Ability of the listener to remember facts is
difficult - need to repeat the key points of brand
name and identification information
 Theater of the mind
 The story is visualized in the listener’s
imagination
 Uses WORD to paint pictures in listeners’
mind
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-10
How to Write Radio Copy
The tools of radio copy
Voice: Jingle, announcement, dialogue,
Human voice,
animal voice
Music: serious, funny, exciting
Sound effects: (SFX) helps the audience
to visualize e.g. shoe tapping, horses, engine.
Radio Script: direction of
the message for radio ad
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-11
How to Write Television Copy
Moving action makes television so much
more engaging than print
The challenge is to fuse the images with
the words to present a creative concept
and a story
Storytelling is one way copywriters can
present action in a television commercial
more powerfully than in other media
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-12
Planning the TV Commercial
 Copywriters must plan
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Length of the commercial
Shots in each scene
Key visual
Where and how to shoot the commercial
 Scenes
 Segments of action that occur in a single location
 Key frames
 The visual that sticks in one’s mind
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-13
Tools of Television Copywriting
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Video
Audio
Voice-over
Off camera
Other TV Tools: Sets, Casting for talents, Pace
Storyboard (TVC) or TV
script
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-14
Writing style of advertising
( a different approach)
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Simplicity is a key to effective ad copy
Ad copy is short & to the point
Copy is tightly edited to eliminate any unnecessary words or
ideas
Copy talks about specifics of a p/d, not broad genralities
Ad copy focuses on a single, strong point
Copy captures a conversational tone tt emulates the way people
talk casually (Tone of voice=copy)
Ad copy strives to use original ideas & phrases
Variety of copy e.g. mixing sentences & paragraph lengths
Tone of voice: write as if the target audience were in the
conversation. Grammar is violated only when it helps make a
point or deliver the message
Avoiding the stereotypes of adese such as phrases
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-15
Design and Production
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
16
Key Points
 Explain how visual impact is created in
advertising
 List the principles of layout and explain how
design is affected by media requirements
 Describe how art and color are reproduced
 Explain how the art director creates TV
commercials
 Identify the critical steps in planning and
producing broadcast commercials
 Summarize the techniques of Web design
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-17
Outline
What & Why Visual Communication?
Visual Elements of Print Media
Art Direction for Print ad
Art Direction for TVC
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-18
I. Functions of Visual
Visual impact
A picture in a print ad captures more than
twice as many readers as a headline
does
Initial attention is more likely to turn into
sustained interest
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-19
Visual Communication
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Six key reasons for the effective use of visuals in
advertising
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Grab attention
Stick in memory
Cement belief
Tell interesting stories
Communicate quickly
Anchor associations
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-20
Print Art Direction
Print ad tools kits or visual elements
 ART: Photos, Illustrations, Clip art
 Colors
 Typography
Art Director:
- visual look
- Transfer the
conceptpicture+word
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-21
Visual Elements: Art
Art:
- Photos
 The authenticity of photography makes it
powerful
 Realistic, Creditability
- Illustrations
 Illustrations eliminate many details of a photo
 Fanciful, Abstract
- Clip art:
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-22
Visual Elements: colors
Color
Attention: ads w/ color gain more attention e.g.
black & white VS color
-Realism:color adds realism e.g. flowers, food
-Mood: color is powerful at establishing mood
*
- warm,
- happiness
cool,calm,sophisticated
- Brand association/brand identity
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-23
Visual Elements : Typography
Typography :
The appearance of the ad’s printed matter in terms of the
style and size of typefaces
Fonts
• Basic set of letters
in a particular typeface
– Serif: A
– Sans serif: A
Justification: the way the lines
align at the end
• Justified : left & right margins
are equal
• Flush right:right aligned text
• Flush left:left aligned text
• Center
(ex. on p. 393, box B) pic
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
Type Measurement
 Points: size
 Smallest system of
measurement units
 Picas : width and length of column
 Bigger unit of measurement
Legibility
 How easy it is to perceive the
letters
 Reverse type,
 All capitals
5-7
 Etc.
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
1-24
Print Art Direction
Visual elements
Photos, Illustrations, Clip art
Colors
Typography
Layout =
A plan that imposes order and creates
an arrangement that is aesthetically pleasing pic8-11
1)picture+wording
2) Only picture
3) Only wording
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
1-25
TIPS: how to design the print ad
 CONTRAST: is important. The white background makes
your ad clearer and more easily to be understood
 Balancing Act: If one side is heavy on type, place a
large scale logo or graphics on the other side
 Picture this: the picture should take up a quarter of the
ad space
 Follow the reader: Most reader reads ad in a kind of
reverse “S” shape
 Call to action: don’t forget the main purpose of the ad is
to SELL e.g. call to action, address of co., contact no.
Wells, Moriarty, Burnett & Lwin - Xth Edition
ADVERTISING Principles and Effective IMC Practice
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