From the keyboard of David Stevens Write to excite Prepare to get emotional. When it comes to corporates, too much writing falls flat. It’s all logic and no magic. So here’s a deck full of emotions, references and exercises to get you out of your head and writing with feeling. 2 © WOLFF OLINS A story of three acts 1. Why bother? 2. Seven ways to write with feeling 3. Further inspiration 3 © WOLFF OLINS 1. Why bother? “Bad writing is mainly boring writing. It can be boring because it is too confused or too logical, or boring because it is hysterical or lethargic, or boring because nothing really happens.” - Toby Litt 4 © WOLFF OLINS We live in a visual culture, right? Nobody reads these days, right? 5 © WOLFF OLINS Well, we write a lot… “The written word will flourish in the post-pandemic workplace. A workplace dominated by time on screens may seem bound to favour newer, faster and more visual ways of transmitting information. But an old form of communication—writing—is also flourishing. And not just dashed-off emails and entries on virtual whiteboards, but slow, time-intensive writing. The strengths of the written word have not been diminished by the pandemic era. In some ways they are ideally suited to it.” 6 - The Economist, January 2022 © WOLFF OLINS And we read a lot… 7 © WOLFF OLINS But it feels like brands don’t think about their words a lot… 8 © WOLFF OLINS Brands that do choose their words carefully really stand out. 9 © WOLFF OLINS Some brands just do it…naturally. 10 © WOLFF OLINS It’s time to write with feeling. Whether that’s with swagger and attitude. Or just avoiding platitudes. Let’s not be wallpaper designers. Let’s show words some love. 11 © WOLFF OLINS And if you’re still not convinced about the importance of exciting writing… From Story Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee 12 © WOLFF OLINS 2. Seven ways to write with feeling If you’re looking for advice on style (and the pitfalls of pronouns and the passive voice) then you’ve come to the wrong place. The following tips are an encouragement to write with attitude and perspective, not to drown yourself in worldplay. That said, The Elements of Style Illustrated by Strunk and White is a fantastic resource for the style obsessed. 13 © WOLFF OLINS Seven ways to write with feeling 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 14 Pick an emotion Pick a plot Pick a vantage point Pick an enemy Speak like a fan Break a taboo Evoke a time and a place © WOLFF OLINS Tip #1: Pick an emotion To make a reader sit up and listen, speak to their heart not their head. Anyone who’s seen Pixar’s Inside Out knows that there’s at least 5 emotions inside all our hearts (Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust). But psychologists have posited that there’s upwards of 27 emotions (which we express with our 42 facial muscles). So, is there… A feeling you can own? An emotional safe space you can inhabit? 15 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #1: Pick an emotion. A bit like…Headspace Headspace write with a sense of relaxed calm that puts your mind at rest. 16 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #1: Pick an emotion. A bit like…Virgin Media Virgin Media write with a sense of high energy and confidence (which they call ‘mojo’) that makes you feel they’re fun, fast and full of fibre. 17 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #2: Pick a plot Much has been made of the need for brands to be better ‘storytellers’. But there are millions of different stories out there, so how do you know which kind to tell? Christopher Booker’s The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories is a fantastic and fun look at seven classic narratives that you can use as the basis for your storyline. Here’s a summary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 18 Overcoming the monster Rags to riches The quest Voyage and return Comedy Tragedy Rebirth © WOLFF OLINS Tip #2: Pick a plot. A bit like…Lurpak Lurpak write as if they’re setting out on an epic journey - and they make food and the people who cook it feel heroic. 19 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #2: Pick a plot. A bit like…Bumble Bumble write as if they’re talking to a character in a romcom or a series of tragi-comic episodes, so you feel like they get the highs and lows of business and dating life. 20 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #3: Pick a vantage point Some brands speak from on high. Some get down in the trenches. How you come across can be massively shaped by how close or distant, how aloof or familiar you are with your reader. So, when you’re trying to inject your words with energy, think about where you stand. Are you… Up high? Down below? Or shall we meet in the middle? 21 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #3: Pick a vantage point. A bit like…The Economist The Economist write like they’ve made it to the upper echelons of business, making you feel theirs is a publication for people at the top of their game. 22 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #3: Pick a vantage point. A bit like…TikTok TikTok write like they’re right there with you on the journey, keeping you entertained and supporting you at every step. 23 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #4: Pick an enemy There’s an old saying that goes: When you stand for nothing, you fall for everything. This saying speaks to the idea that struggle and conflict are central to existence and shape our purpose. So, to write with passion, single out your enemy (whether that’s a person, a product or a principle) and use what’s wrong with them to highlight what’s right with you. Are you against… An oppressor? A norm? A stereotype? 24 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #4: Pick an enemy. A bit like…The Guardian The Guardian write like they have long been a thorn in the side of the establishment, always pushing for justice and progress. 25 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #4: Pick an enemy. A bit like…Oatly Oatly write with a sense of being not just anti-dairy, but also anti-advertising and anti-cruelty making them feel like they’re for people with a rebellious streak. 26 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #5: Speak like a fan The best kind of marketing is word of mouth. So who better to sound like than one of your own biggest fans? Many of today’s brands curate content, host communities and cater for different cultures. It hardly makes sense to speak like a corporate at all. So, why not try adopting the voice of the people? Are you a… Super-user? A passionate nerd? A pundit who tells it like it is? 27 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #5: Speak like a fan. A bit like…Twitter Twitter write using the voices of their fans, whether those fans are just having fun, hoping to make a breakthrough or talking to their own following. 28 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #5: Speak like a fan. A bit like…Netflix Netflix write with all the snark, sass and nerdiness of film buffs and binge watchers, so you feel like they’re in on your in-jokes and part of a passionate community. 29 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #6: Break a taboo Sometimes, we skirt around the real issues. We are sensitive, we are nice and we are…a bit bland. What some brands need is someone to come along and rip off the sticking plaster. Address the elephant in the room. Tell it like it is. So, if you’re in a category full of conventions, ask yourself: what is the unspoken truth that nobody has dared to mention? Is it… Something society considers taboo? Something a little rude or naughty? Or just something we all take for granted? 30 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #6: Break a taboo. A bit like…Bodyform Bodyform write with brutal honesty about the unseen, unspoken, unknown stories of women’s lives, so you feel they truly empathise with your pain. 31 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #6: Break a taboo. A bit like…Fridababy Fridababy write with a warts-and-all honesty that never lacks heart, but that makes you feel like hardships and mistakes are all just part of the process. 32 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #7: Evoke a time and a place Location, location location. That’s what they say in property. But could it apply to brands? Some brands can stand out if they celebrate their mother tongue. They may have heritage, founders or a certain country of origin whose voice they can evoke. It’s worth keeping an ear out for… A different worldview. A quirky turn of phrase. A unique accent or sense of humour. 33 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #7: Evoke a time and a place. A bit like…Hendrick’s Hendrick’s write with a heavy sense of Victorian nostalgia, so you feel you’re escaping with them to a more refined and experimental age. 34 © WOLFF OLINS Tip #7: Evoke a time and a place. A bit like…Ben & Jerry’s Ben & Jerry’s write like a bunch of old hippies on the farm, full of peace, love and harmony (and plenty of dairy puns) to make doing good feel good. 35 © WOLFF OLINS 3. Further inspiration There’s lots of great writing about writing. Here are some places to start. 36 © WOLFF OLINS Writers from the worlds of branding and advertising who are very much worth a follow The lovely Nick Parker https://twitter.com/nickparker https://toneofvoice.substack.com/ The community-minded Vikki Ross https://twitter.com/VikkiRossWrites https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/write-right-vikki-ross/ The clarity champion Tom Albrighton https://twitter.com/tomcopy https://twitter.com/write_clear 37 © WOLFF OLINS Fun little pieces on the ecstasy and agony of penning great prose Manifestos: A Manifesto. The 10 traits of effective public declarations, an Object Lesson by Julian Hanna https://emotivefeels.com/ - a website from Emotive Brand on 50 feelings you can use to build a brand THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO WRITING BETTER THAN YOU NORMALLY DO by Colin Nissan HOW TO WRITE LIKE AN ACADEMIC by Andrew Williams 38 © WOLFF OLINS A reminder that how you arrange words can be as important as the words themselves (via Dave Dye) 39 © WOLFF OLINS Awesome courses and books on plotting, pacing, story structure and wordplay Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee Shonda Rhimes Teaches Writing For Television on Masterclass.com The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories by Christopher Booker The Copy Book: How Some of the Best Advertising Writers in the World Write Their Advertising by D&AD 40 © WOLFF OLINS A lesson from Gary Provost on writing with rhythm 41 © WOLFF OLINS A final word on words It’s worth remembering that wordiness can be seen as nerdiness. Too much wordplay can be a turn-off. Too much empty rhetoric and you’re a yawn-fest. So: don’t over-egg the pudding. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. What matters most is meaning, not word count. So write with heart, not with a thesaurus. 42 © WOLFF OLINS Write on. David Stevens david.stevens@wollfolins.com
