Creative & Copywriting: Back to the Future

The advertising we see most often today is brand advertising. A brand ad will hook you, tell you of a product or service, and the assumption is that you'll be driven to either visit the brand's website or retail store. Direct marketers, however, don't assume that simply the knowledge of their product will drive consumers to their store or website. They've developed and tested hooks they know will drive consumers to respond — e.g., deadlines, minimum orders and more.

That's why it's essential to treat an ad like a major assignment, with a creative brief that identifies your target market and what problem your product or service will solve for them. This will be the core of your strongest headlines. (Note: Headline development can also make or break your website's homepage.)

One of my favorite space ad campaigns is one TravelSmith ran for many years. This campaign was successful in growing the retailer's catalog housefile. TravelSmith launched the campaign with small space ads for its black travel dress. To ensure that women knew this was something they couldn't travel comfortably without, TravelSmith used the following headline in the ad: "The Indispensable Black Travel Dress."

After running this ad regularly and selling countless dresses, the retailer moved into the men's apparel market with another product, "TravelSmith's Featherweight Packable Trenchcoat." The women's version of the coat had a similar but slightly different name: "TravelSmith's Packable Microfiber Raincoat."

Notice how information-packed those headlines are? TravelSmith knows its market well. Women often wish they could take along a dress when they travel, but it takes up too much space, won't match other items being packed and gets wrinkled. TravelSmith's dress answered that challenge in the headline. Likewise, the retailer's raincoat ads assured consumers that its coat was truly a convenient choice.

Note also how the language changes depending on the target audience. The coats are both made from microfiber, which women are familiar with. Men, on the other hand, might not have recognized microfiber as a benefit, so it would have been unwise to take the same headline approach.

The raincoat ad might not have been so specific in a branded ad. One raincoat marketer's brand ad I found read, "The coat you'll live in." Who wants to wear a raincoat all the time? You can see why the promise of featherweight and packable has far more appeal.

Hardworking Body Copy Delivers
You might think the TravelSmith ads have "too many words," but in fact these ads were enormously successful — and still would be today. Why? Because they're easy to read with quick, easy-to-scan sentences, and they cover the gamut of descriptive language that's music to the ears of any traveler: wrinkle-free, versatile, easy to pack, lightweight, etc. The ad tells readers about the small pouch it will fit into to "tuck it" into your carry-on. Seam-sealed and waterproof are also essential words.

The rest of the body copy confirms to the reader that they'll see over 350 items like this one in TravelSmith's catalog. Most important of all, they learn that they'll be rewarded when they call for the catalog with a FREE outfitting guide that includes suggested packing lists and travel advice, an offer most travelers would appreciate.

Understanding how to sell rather than how to be creative is essential to developing effective space ads. Know your customers and speak to them with headlines, copy and offers that really excite them. Then give them a deadline to respond. So simple, yet most ads you see won't have these elements.