If one of your ideas doesn’t make the client a little nervous, you’re not doing your job. Always try to push them out of their comfort zone. You won’t always succeed, but that’s not the point. Just because they won’t task a risk doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.
I stumbled upon this clip of Lee Clow, cribbed from the movie “Art & Copy.” He basically makes a case for creative insurgency. My favorite quote: “Creative people, rise up! They can’t do shit unless we make ads for them. We should be in charge.”
I’ve worked at the type of agency he’s criticizing and the do-anything-to-make-a-buck attitude is disheartening, to say the least. While I sadly don’t have the chops to work at a shop like Chiat, I think it’s possible to foster that “pirate spirit” almost anywhere. All it takes is a coalition of the willing.
Band together, my friends, band together.
Go to the 1:26 mark for the start of the bit I’m talking about.
Some of my clients are the most inside-the-box mofos you’ll ever meet. It’s what got a few of us talking about the difference between giving a client what they want and what they need. The want is obviously what you see in the brief — a specific type of project that covers off on points X, Y and Z. The need, however, is something that’s completely above and beyond the client’s request.
For instance, let’s say you’ve been asked to promote a sweepstakes on Facebook. All the client really wants is an entry form fans can complete. But beyond offering people an opportunity to win, what does that really accomplish? Considering that social is an engagement channel, doesn’t it make more sense to give entrants a compelling reason to hang around (or keep coming back).
You could, for instance, transform the sweeps into a photo contest where the winner is picked through fan votes. Then you’d give people a good reason to tell their friends “hey, vote for me” while encouraging them to check back in. Of course, this is just one of many approaches you could — and should — take to satisfy the need.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying don’t give the client what they want. I’m saying you shouldn’t stop there. While the bare minimum might be fine for the client (and it typically is), it shouldn’t ever be good enough for you.
Early last decade I had a chance to work for Kelly O’Keefe, one of the smartest men I know in advertising. Towards the end of my run with his agency Emergence, he and I were working on a pitch for a retailer similar to Restoration Hardware.
In addition to coming up with spec creative, I was also charged with cranking out a mess of taglines for the brand. Never an easy thing, it was even more daunting because Kelly was the guy the New York Times and other pubs called about branding.
My initial lines were catchy, pithy and quickly shot down by Kelly. But before I left the room, he shared his philosophy on slogans, which still guides me almost 10 years later.
When digging into brand assignments, Kelly stressed authenticity over everything else. The best taglines, he said, reflected or reinforced the consumer’s own experience with the brand.
Kelly’s theory bears out, especially when you consider how many good slogans are indelible in our minds:
Reach Out And Touch Someone | AT&T
Takes A Licking And Keeps On Ticking | Timex
Be All You Can Be | U.S. Army
Have It Your Way | Burger King
It’s Everywhere You Want To Be | VISA
Now what’s truly remarkable is none of these taglines are currently in use today, yet you probably know them all. And that’s the power of a carefully crafted slogan. Unlike a headline that can be forgotten as soon as it’s read, a tagline can enter our cultural lexicon.
The next time you sit down to write one, think of the difference between the evocative classic Finger Lickin’ Good and it’s barely adequate replacement So Good. While they both probably took the same amount of time to develop, it’s clear they didn’t get the same amount of thought.
The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do was write about baked beans. Yes, baked beans. It was my sophomore year of college and Jack Haberstroh — my copywriting professor — had issued his annual Baked Beans Challenge.
The goal was to write copy that literally made the mouth water. It was tough. Real tough. I’ll be honest, it wasn’t my name that ended up on the Wall of Fame. Chances are, it wouldn’t be yours either.
That’s kind of my point. Most of the things we’re asked to write about aren’t that challenging. It’s easy to sell sexy — cars, televisions and all the other things we lust after. Pushing cell phone service, lawn care and teeth whitening isn’t that tricky either. So if you ever want to test your mettle as a writer, go grab a can off aisle nine and have at it. It’s beans that separate the men from the boys.
What’s in it for them? It’s a question those reading your copy commonly ask. Are you? Too often writers are so caught up in being clever, they forget to be compelling. Let’s face it, not everyone can be Louis C.K.
So instead of trying to be funny, try to be effective. Aim to evoke a response, be it emotional or rational. Identify the sweet spot, then convey it in a way that gets noticed. A couple of good examples:
The trick is to give people what they want — even if they don’t know what that is yet. As you can see here, you don’t have to be boring to be benefit-driven. Heck, the guy who wrote these ads got himself featured in Communication Arts. That’s not too shabby for promoting the virtues of clean living.
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