Part 10 of my e-book, entitled, "It's all in the head (and it's not what you are thinking!)"

It’s all in the head (and it’s not what you are thinking!) – Part 10

Triggers that helped me crank up my copy

6) Puffery? Yes, I’ve been there once:

It’s tacky to sing praises of a brand, isn’t it? Just as it is of praising another to his face, no? It sounds so artificial, so totally fawning... bleh...And while I could quote from memory n number of ads that have indulged in it, my conscience bids me say, hey, you know what? You’ve done that too and are guilty as well. 

So why not talk about that, huh?

So we’re going to do just that. Talk about my “mistake”. 

When do you sing praises of a person? When they have achieved something beyond your imagination? Something that you couldn’t do if you had ten lives to live! And what if the brand was the man himself? When you thought of the brand you saw his face, his ideals, his attempt to carry out the legacy of his forefathers... Amazing, isn’t it? And imagine growing up with discussions on the breakfast table of how the brand was being steered...?

Do not think that I am defending myself. It’s just not on, no matter what. And for what it’s worth, I wrote that and am guilty as charged. Here are the words that condemn me:

Tata Steel – The Sun that will not be eclipsed

7)  Use of Word Play:

You need not be a student of English to love the language, but it sure helps. And if you love the language then you will love playing with it – turning a neat phrase here and another there; sometimes using rhyming words like Claim to Fame, or the use of personification as in Lady Luck Smiles at Dame Fame.  You could sometimes even find it worrying as you are unable to decide whether it should read Brave Men make Great Warriors or Brave Warriors make Great Men!

Another method that has influenced my work is in combining opposites. And thus was born: Where Economy Travels Business Class and Great Things come in Tiny Packages

Find it fun? 

Now go forth and find your own song.

 And write it in stone...

... Your work of art...

Hope you enjoyed reading the book as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you. And more importantly, I hope you find something useful that you can take away from this book; something that would make your good writing skills better.

 And what’s more, perhaps this time next year you would be sharing a bit of advice with me! Who’s to say what promise tomorrow will bring?

And finally, if I can do it, you can too, isn’t it?

On that promising note, here’s wishing you the very best...

Good luck and God bless!

Rajani Rajan Shriram

http://rajanishriram.blogspot.in

http://sixinchesdeepblogger.blogspot.in

Next week I bring you posts from my e-book on social media marketing.

Until the next,

Adieus!

Part 9 of my e-book, entitled, "It's all in the head (and it's not what you are thinking!)"

It’s all in the head (and it’s not what you are thinking!) – Part 9

Triggers that helped me crank up my copy

4d) Sex in ads: bold versus  conservative:

 If this topic offends your sentiments, then I urge you to wait for the next edition tomorrow! But if you are curious, read on...

My question is this:  should ads allude to sex?

 Personally, I would veer towards the conservative side. And this is because I - and this is totally personal - would not like to be responsible for any ad that I may not be able to see with my daughter around or for that matter my grandchildren. I see myself as a dream merchant. I sell brands.  I could be naughty, but would definitely wince at the kind of ads that some of the French do. But then this is a personal opinion and I am not by any means attempting to judge another person's art.

But here, too, I find myself contradicting my own words. How easy it is, isn’t it, to excuse ourselves of our sinful thoughts by giving it a lighter sentence? And so I have to confess that I too am guilty of alluding to sex in an ad.

I refer to my ad for Bryl Deo.

Don’t write me off just yet. Hear me out first and then you can pass your judgement. Would you damn me or forgive me? Here is how it goes:

God Created Eve; and the Devil, Bryl

And

The Taste of the Forbidden

What do you think? Do send in your comments and I’d be happy to answer you in my blog.

Part 8 of my e-book, entitled, "It's all in the head (and it's not what you are thinking!)"

It’s all in the head (and it’s not what you are thinking!) – Part 8

Triggers that helped me crank up my copy

4d) Emote with Envy:

A powerful way to tempt a consumer into making a purchase is through mind games. Yes, that’s right, psychology. In fact, if you know a bit of psychology you would know just what to say to each member of your target audience. As it’s not possible to reach out to each one of them, we generally lean towards the majority. What do they want? What would they do if we offered them this at that price etc? 

This is a very materialistic world. Everybody wants to have something yesterday. In fact, before Mrs. X has it, on the first day of the launch, limited edition... ah, our desires are endless, aren’t they?

And the marketer loves feeding on these desires. Tempting a little here, denying a little there. Do you still crave for it? Yes? Come into the garden, Maud... and I’ll show you more. And the salesman takes her there. But there are only two. One has been reserved and the other? It has just been taken. Do I see your face turn green? ... Are you feeling sick or are you green with envy, or is it a little bit of both?

Don’t we love it as we tempt, tempt until she bites at the bit and is hooked, sometimes for life and sometimes till another shiny piece of metal comes along? And then the dealing and the wheeling rolls out again, much like the previous one only this time a little more artful perhaps...?

When I wrote this headline, Nokia was THE brand to buy. Nobody considered any other brand. In fact, if you had a Nokia, you had the best. Never mind the fact that it still is, even as it jostles for space with other brands. And from within such an environment was born this idea:

Nokia – Because what you Possess, Others Covet

Until the next…

Adieus!

Part 7 of my e-book, entitled, "It's all in the head (and it's not what you are thinking!)"

It’s all in the head (and it’s not what you are thinking!)

Triggers that helped me crank up my copy

4c) ‘Feel-good’ Emotions:

A few posts earlier I had spoken to you about emotions like fear and how I used fear to engage the consumer.

Might I remind you, I am not alone on this one. Others have done it too, only with a gutsy and devil-may-dare attitude added to it.

I am talking of the brand Mountain Dew, the headline of which reads:

Mountain Dew – Darr ke aagey jeet hai

Loosely translated it means, “Victory lies ahead of fear”

The picture is of a bunch of young boys and girls river-rafting in turbulent waters. 

Amazing ad and might I say with a devil-be-damned attitude so intrinsically woven in the youthful exuberance synonymous with the brash and reckless young.

As I recollect, I was in a fix. How in the world was I to better that? They had beaten me to the first place on all counts. 

Who were the target audience for the brand? The youth – spot on. 

What was the reigning emotion? The devil-be-damned devilry that is so symptomatic of the youth – just right there too. 

And what of the copy? Now who could have said it better? Victory lies ahead of fear. Wow! And I was supposed to trump that?

I scratched my head, with scant respect to my bleeding scalp and blood-filled nails. See? That damn brand continues to haunt me even in my daytime dreams!

And then it struck me to turn the emotion around. The exhilaration of throwing yourself at Death’s feet. (Egad! Good Lord, protect those angels. Seems imminently like suicidal to me, don’t know about you!)

 Anyway, apparently these cats think they have nine lives, and throwing them one time too many isn’t going to do them in, you know what I mean?

So I gave them the “thrill” they were looking for, (good grief, son, you give me the jitters!) with the same scene of young devil-be-damned youth thrilled at the thought of meeting their Maker, and across angry rivers. But the headline...? No. You tell me what you think of it.

Personally, I don’t subscribe to it, nor do I see myself suicidal now or in the near future. But that didn’t stop me from wondering what it was they were feeling? And here is what I had to say. Write in and tell me what you think of this one:

Mountain Dew - Kauff nahi, mohabbat hai zindagi se

Loosely translated that would mean: Mountain Dew - It’s not fear, but that I’m in love with life.

Another feel-good ad shows the picture of Big Ethel, that’s right, of the Jughead and Ethel fame, showing her large buck teeth as she smiles so beautifully, with just two words saying everything: you don’t have to have a perfect set of teeth to have a winning smile. I call such a smile the “Colgate  muskaan” (the Colgate smile).

Part 6 of my e-book entitled, "It's all in the head (and it's not what you are thinking!)"

It’s all in the head (and it’s not what you are thinking!)

Triggers that helped me crank up my copy:

4 b) Emote with Love:

And then on the other side of the fence is the symbol of youth, the evergreen emotion of love. And the brand is Pepsi. It is the single-most youthful brand, associated with the teens and women in India. Yes, women too, and so, is the preferred drink every beau would buy for his woman.

And from this thought was the idea of love born, when I thought of the brand, Pepsi.

 Love is a curious feeling; sometimes sweet, sometimes sad, tugging at your heart, sometimes this way, sometimes that, but always, almost always bringing hope.

 Lost your love? Sure, it’s painful. But hey, there’s life thereafter? 

Hang on just a second! Wasn’t that [name your friend of two years ago] walking by?

 And love, and hope, springs.

And who says love is only for the teeny-boppers? Men and women well into their 40s still think of love. And although they might not be direct consumers, especially men, they are indulgent towards their kith and kin that just might be.

Love softens even the most seasoned player. And who has not succumbed to love’s demands, even if love were only fleeting?

But we are dream merchants. Ours is neither the job to point out man’s fickle heart nor to caution against the futility of unrequited love. We sell you what you long for; secretly and fervently hope for; unconditional love, though your love towards her may not be quite as unconditional!

Love means different things to different people. In my work, too, love takes on myriad hues while selling you a dream. Selling you a few of such dreams are my headlines that go something like this:

Pepsi - When Two Hearts Beat to the Sound of One

Spreading good cheer and a feeling of goodwill is yet another:

Life mein kabhie kabhie kuch na kuch achcha hota hai - Pepsi

[In life, sometimes, something good happens]

On a more philosophical tone:

Hate Ebbs where Love Flows

On a romantic note is the De Beers ad which goes something like this:

Love is Fickle; a Diamond is forever

De Beers – For Love that lasts forever

In the latter ad, I’d like to bring to your notice the play of reason and emotion in the making of the headline.

 The first line reasons with you by its declaration that love does not last. Although - and here it is shrewd – it accurately guesses your need for a more permanent form of love. And so it baits you with the fact that diamonds are forever yours outlasting perhaps even your mate’s amorous overtures. And then it seals the ‘deal’ with an artful promise (and hope) of a love that will last - like the diamond he gave you - forever.

More of the same, tomorrow

Until then,

Adieus!