Openers For Effective Advertising
Advertising begins only after you win the attention of your target, a difficult thing to do in an over communicated world. Your message can reach the world through radio, television, satellite, websites, social media, etc. It is almost limitless as to how and where you can get your message to the world.
When you’re ready to tell your story, it is important to choose an angle of approach. This can be tricky. In radio, which is my background, we must take the listener to a different place or give them mental pictures to tell your story. Keep in mind, radio is the theatre of the mind. I will use examples from radio.
When creating a commercial message, you don’t want to just increase knowledge to what is already known. You want to introduce a thought that stands taller than anything else that is in the forefront of their mind. With that thought, Radio is the theatre of the mind, let’s put on a play for the listeners. It can be done in a single sentence.
Next, decide what you want to put in and what you want to leave out in the opener. It is best to leave out anything the listener already is aware of. Putting the name of the business in places it would not appear in a normal conversation is another way to stand out. Leave out unsubstantiated claims, clichés, comparisons, statements such as we are number one, statements making you aware of a competitor, etc. You get the picture.
Here’s some typical opening lines from radio ads. Compare them to lines that come from what is known as “unusual angles” and can better frame the message.
“Brown Chevrolet is having a Clearance Event!” Compare it to, “We want to get rid of this car even more than you want to own it”.
“Williams Acura is Going Out of Business” Compare it to, “Here at Williams Acura we're tired of being average. So here’s what we’ve decided to do…”
So, choose an angle that stands out and leave the obvious alone. You have keys to opening the minds eye. If you are writing a commercial or writing material for a presentation, you have more material to work with. Give it a try!
When you’re ready to tell your story, it is important to choose an angle of approach. This can be tricky. In radio, which is my background, we must take the listener to a different place or give them mental pictures to tell your story. Keep in mind, radio is the theatre of the mind. I will use examples from radio.
When creating a commercial message, you don’t want to just increase knowledge to what is already known. You want to introduce a thought that stands taller than anything else that is in the forefront of their mind. With that thought, Radio is the theatre of the mind, let’s put on a play for the listeners. It can be done in a single sentence.
Next, decide what you want to put in and what you want to leave out in the opener. It is best to leave out anything the listener already is aware of. Putting the name of the business in places it would not appear in a normal conversation is another way to stand out. Leave out unsubstantiated claims, clichés, comparisons, statements such as we are number one, statements making you aware of a competitor, etc. You get the picture.
Here’s some typical opening lines from radio ads. Compare them to lines that come from what is known as “unusual angles” and can better frame the message.
“Brown Chevrolet is having a Clearance Event!” Compare it to, “We want to get rid of this car even more than you want to own it”.
“Williams Acura is Going Out of Business” Compare it to, “Here at Williams Acura we're tired of being average. So here’s what we’ve decided to do…”
So, choose an angle that stands out and leave the obvious alone. You have keys to opening the minds eye. If you are writing a commercial or writing material for a presentation, you have more material to work with. Give it a try!
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