Posts Tagged television commercial copywriter
Award Winning Bridgestone TV Commercials: Deserving or Not?
Posted by dan in Award Winning TV Commercials, Television Commercial Scripts, TV Commercials on November 4, 2012
Here are a few Bridgestone Tire TV commercials that were finalists at the annual Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.
The first two spots, “Scream” and “Obstacle,” combine fun and simplicity of message with a dramatization of the product’s benefits, which are the maneuverability the tires add to your driving experience, which in turn translates to safety and, at times, driving fun.
However, these are benefits offered by any new car tire. Why buy Bridgestone? Nothing non-generic is alluded to. So we’re left with, “Hey, we’re the fun, ‘creative’ tire company. Doesn’t that just make you want to plunk down several hundred dollars and bet your life on us?”
The third award-winning tv commercial script goes even farther off track.
This one shows a dog getting inside a tire and running in it like a rat in a wheel through his doggy streets and world. It has some of the charm of Babe: Pig in the City. Starts at about 1:20. But again, besides implying that your tire is the stuff of fairy tales and animal stories, I’m not sure this is going to drive a financial and personal safety decision.
Cannes seems to applaud tv scripts and commercials that are cinematic but not necessarily commercial.
I guess a lot of their film accolades go the same way. I like movies that come to a moving and meaningful conclusion. And I love tv commercial scripts and spots that move me to buy.
The only bone I can throw the Cannes Lion is that these spots were not the winners.
They were merely ranked in the top 10% of 4,600 entries from around the world. So these spots were 3 among more than 460. Not an amazing distinction. Even before you actually view them.
Of course, maybe I’m all wrong about his. In which case I’d enjoy learning why these are great television commercials.
Anyone?
Related Reading
Scripting a radio campaign within a radio campaign
Posted by dan in ad campaign, radio advertising campaign on August 20, 2012
I concepted and scripted television and radio advertising for a chain of TV and appliance stores called Handy Andy.
I’ll be sharing several of these commercials and their genesis over several posts.
The client’s basic promise and tagline, which I could not persuade them to rethink or reword, was “Nobody but nobody sells for less.”
In such situations, rising to the occasion means not just living with such a requirement, but breathing life into it.
So I retired to my concept couch to explore how the fact that ‘nobody sells for less’ could play out over several engaging and persuasive ads.
One way it could play would be that you’d have to be insane to buy from anyone else.
Another thought bubbled up. There must be somebody who could sell these TVs and appliances for less…
Or, somebody could be so rich that the claim is meaningless…
Or one could be too dumb to care…
And just when I began to get self satisfied with all these directions, I shifted 180 degrees on my couch and realized I could have someone care too much.
Anything but:
“Gee, your store really is the best store to go to.”
“Yup.”
“Thanks, Handy Andy!”
Each of these areas yielded more than one commercial.
And as these ads clustered around these creative directions, they seemed to form little campaigns within the larger campaign.
In the end, the dumb tagline became my friend by allowing me to have a few flavors of fun persuasion and still round all these radio and television commercials into a unified message.
As often happens, confinement became freedom.
This point about confinement seems particularly appropriate for this first mini-sub-radio campaign:
“Bureau of Bewildered Persons”
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“National Bureau of Bewildered Persons Revisited“
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Stay tuned for further spots covering who could sell for less, who doesn’t care, who’s too dumb to care, and cares too much.
And, as always, let me know what you think.
Related Reading
TV Commercial Script This Freelance Copywriter Wishes He’d Written. And Directed.
Posted by dan in copywriter, TV Commercials on March 13, 2012
When it comes to copywriting services, here’s one great television commercial script.
I laughed the first time and every time I see this tv spot.
A solid, streamlined concept any decent freelance copywriter has to admire.
It’s a great, simple idea:
Show how high-definition and lifelike this Samsung smart phone’s screen is by having people freak completely out when a spider appears on it–to the point of screaming and fleeing the phone and summoning every last atom of manly courage to swat the phone into arachnid submission.
As a freelance copywriter, I wish I got brought in on more tv commercials with production values like this.
The direction and/or acting talent on this television commercial is also inspired. When Ms. Bizlunch sees the smart spider, her scream progresses through three stages of increasing horror as she fully, then more fully, and then completely realizes there’s a tarantula on the table.
Mr. Bizlunch Sr. swats the eight-legged innocent into submission, and then swats him again to make sure. This is even more hilarious because he manages to let a certain shakiness come through his voice that communicates both how cool and collected he’s trying to appear and how much fear he had to overcome to swat the spider.
Slam dunk.
About Freelance Copywriter Dan Goldstein
I write copy to get results.
But flat-footedly asking for those results doesn't always work. You have to get your customers' attention, convince them you understand their problems, needs and desires, and then present a compelling solution in a memorable way. I offer copywriting services in all media, including the Web, that jump through all these hoops with enough style to enhance your image while scoring sales.
I spent the first part of my career as a copywriter at major advertising agencies.
I worked for a wide range of clients on everything from food and beverage accounts to financial services to travel, real estate, restaurants, and much else. Along the way, I picked up numerous awards, including a Clio.
I now offer my copywriting services directly to businesses as well as advertising agencies and design firms.
You can contact me with questions about copywriting or to get to work on your next piece of powerful communication.
You can also subscribe to my blog for hopefully pithy and entertaining insights on advertising copywriting and the creative process.
