Advertisement Copy

Introduction

An Advertisement Copy is text and layout of a print, radio, or television media that aims at catching attention and holding interest of the prospective buyer, and eventually persuading him/her to make a purchase, all within few seconds. Also known as ad copy, or just copy, it is simply a publicity copy that seeks to make known and evoke a favorable response towards anything that is being marketed covering products(such as chocolate, shampoo, soap, etc.), services(hotels, resorts, spas, etc.), ideas(such as Smoking kills, small family-happy family),institutions(such as schools, colleges, etc),destinations(ads issued by The Ministry of Tourism of India-Incredible India), individuals(as in case of an election campaign).Effective copywriting  is any writing that sells a product, a service, or even a person. The radio commercial you hear on your way to work is an example of copywriting. The TV ads that you see while watching your favorite TV shows, pamphlets that you sometimes receive along with your newspaper, sales letters and advertisements you receive in the mail i.e. all forms of ads and their content, layout, message and design together constitute the ad copy. Even the billboards you see on the highway are examples of copywriting. Hence we have 2 types of ad copy depending on the media for which it is intended namely – print copy and broadcast copy. Print copy will cover all brand communications via newspapers, magazines, brochures, pamphlets, journals, internet, billboards, standings etc. Broadcast copy comprises of messages that are transmitted by radio or television and it also includes motion picture ads on the internet via search engines such as Google, YouTube, etc. Although a short advertising copy is more common in consumer-product advertising, according to the UK advertising guru David Ogilvy (1911-1999) people do read (and listen or attend to) lengthy advertisements if they are skillfully written.

Most advertising copy is based on advertising/consumer research and is composed by professional copywriters hired by advertising agencies. The focus of this chapter will be print and broadcast copy.

 To write an effective ad copy, you must focus on capturing the attention of your potential customer. A conventional ad copy comprises of a headline, body copy, slogan, logo and seal of approval. Colors also play a significant role in communicating and positioning the brand in consumer’s mind.

Types of advertisement copy

Depending on the advertisers’ focus and approach, within each medium, print as well as broadcast, there can be the following different types of ad copies:

1.  Institutional ad copy: An institutional ad copy is one which seeks to emphasize the manufacturers’ reputation and induce prospects to make a purchase relying solely on the trust that the brand has created over years in the market. Stress is more on the brand rather than the product. Khaitan fans use, “Khaitan – the name is enough” to convey the brands’ reputation in their ads. Bajaj automobiles also lay stress on “Bajaj”(brand name) in their ads rather than the product.

2.     Straight-selling copy: A copy which tells us why a particular brands’ product should be used while focusing on the product features, its unique selling proposition (USP) is known as a straight-selling copy. It stresses on the product features and how best the advertised brands’ product can serve customer needs in this regard. Answers to several questions regarding the product (health, economy, fashion) form a part of the ad copy. It is also known as a reason-why copy. Brands selling cooking oils use such advertisement copies.

3.  Narrative ad copy: such an ad copy narrates a story or an incident in which the predicament of the protagonist is resolved by the advertised product. Ads of dental creams use such type of ad copies. Such ads may have common- mans’ pre and post product use interviews emphasizing how the product has benefited the user as part of the ad.

4.    Educative copy: sometimes when a specific segment of the market is to be approached, the advertiser may use technological and scientific results that have emanated from rigorous research in order to convince the prospects about the advertised product. This type of ad copy is effectively being used by water purifier brands (pure-it, aqua guard), toothpastes brands (Colgate), shampoo brands (Sunsilk) and so on.

5.   Comic or humorous copy: such an ad copy uses humor to charm the prospects and create a lasting impression. The ad carries a comic effect through use of exaggeration or caricature. The latest fevicol ad in which the desired bed reaches the customer providing specifications even before he puts down the phone can be seen as an example in this regard.

6.  Suggestive copy: such an ad copy simply suggests the goodness that accrues to the customer on using the advertisers’ product. Dove shampoo ads that show smooth, soft hair (goodness) can be taken as an example here.

It should be noted here that the above ad copies do not form distinct water tight compartments. A particular ad copy can fall into more than 1 of the above types. An ad copy can be straight-selling, narrative as well as educative (water purifier ads).