I’ve talked before about people being too quick to say long copy doesn’t work – when the truth is, it’s bad long copy that doesn’t work.
Just like bad short copy.
Or bad headlines.
When you read words that capture the sprit of the time … the feelings held within … the desires wishing to be released … long copy – or any copy for that matter – ceases to be words on a page, but an emotion that envelops you and takes you to a better place … a place that makes you feel alive.
I wish I had that talent … I wish I could write like that … but I don’t, which is why when I’m writing a brief – on top of looking for as much stimulus as I can possibly find – I like to work and collaborate with copywriters, because in my experience they help me capture and communicate what I’m trying to say in a way that allows the reader to feel the words rather than just read them.
I say this because I’ve just come across a piece of writing that I copied down from a BBC Football pundit a couple of months ago.
It was just before one of the last games of the English Premier League was about to begin – a game between Manchester United and Chelsea – where the winner would basically be crowned the champion.
While I don’t support either team, the way this journalist captured the importance of the upcoming 90 minutes made me feel compelled to be a part of it …
I wanted to be part of the experience.
I wanted to know “I was there”.
I wanted to belong.
“These are the days we live for; the days that come as a gift from above.
Today, kids will fall in love with football for the first time and grown men and women will look upon the action free from the cynicism they encounter in everyday life.
Today, all of us will watch the game through the eyes of a child – with hope in our hearts and the sport we love, coursing through our veins.
After eight months of maneuvering, jostling, cruising clear at the top and lagging off the pace, it comes down to this … a 90-minute shootout at the Theatre of Dreams to decide who will be bestowed with glory and who, after such a sacrifice, will have ultimately fought in vain.”
Maybe you feel different, but every time I read it – and I mean every time – I feel excited and nervous at the same time.
I want to relive the moment … see what happens … experience the ups and downs.
In short, that bit of writing is up there with this …
Or what I believe is the advertising equivalent of Al Pacino’s speech …
Sure, they both are clips that have been delivered with tension, drama and emotion … however if you were to take the soundtrack away and simply read the words on a page, I think you’d still feel the power of what’s being said, which is what we should all be aiming for.
Planning isn’t about writing, but good writing makes planning [and everything that comes from it] better – so next time you have a brief, don’t just think about what you need people to know, think about what you need people to feel.