Day 10 of how to write great headlines in less than 30 days

How to write great headlines in less than 30 days

One of the reasons you aren’t making mega bucks, and how you can

Day 10:

You must have often been told of interesting interludes with play of words, but have you ever tried it? If used well, you could make interesting headlines that would take you straight away to the Advertising’s Hall of Fame.

 Use rhymes and personification as in these headlines below:

When Lady Luck Smiles at Dame Fame

Which is a combination of rhymes and personification.

Then, there is another form of the play of words in my Spec ads, which go something like this:

Great moments come in tiny packages

Where I have used the word “great” for one instance to cohabit with its opposite “tiny” that go to make up one big idea.

Another one made more famous would be:

The Citizen of the World

Where “citizen” refers to the singular and yet cohabits with “world” its opposite in this big idea.

Another instance of play of words would be:

Stake your Claim to Fame

…Which is an all-out rhyming of the words, “claim” and “fame”. 

But while playing with words may be fun, it has to have meaning and soul. 

Try not to be clever. We are in this profession to persuade not to show are intellectual expertise.

Any show of command over the language without soul, will come through to a discerning customer as fake and contrite, and so would wean them away from a sale, which is quite the opposite of the purpose of this exercise.. . 

Also, avoid clichés like the plague. A “done-to-death” phrase isn’t going to go down well with a customer who wants to buy. It must sound sincere and the phrase must be an original and written so as to persuade rather than impress. And a cliché would most definitely sound fake.

Have you experimented with the play of words, to what effect? Have you also come across clichés, to what effect? Do share your views in the space below.

Until the next,

Adieus!