Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Good writing is good. Being different is better.

What’s better than when someone creates a piece of communication that respects the target’s intelligence? Well, Free Pie Wednesdays at Baker’s Square, for one. But gratis Coconut Cream aside, I love websites and tv shows and tweets that don’t treat people like herds of lowest common denominators. Explains why I love Aaron Sorkin, he of The American President, West Wing, Sports Night, and The Social Network. And being a writer, I love his work because the dialogue is spectacular. Rapid fire, biting, human.

That said, I still like watching shows like Wipeout, which succeed for the same reason Larry Moe and Curly are in the comedy Hall of Fame. Sometimes you just don’t need words.

This is not true, though, if you believe London MarketingWeek’s article about long copy ads making a comeback. On the surface, it’s a win for writers who like to flex their linguistic muscles. But as the article makes clear, it’s more about zigging when others are not zigging. With the years-long dearth of long copy ads, the agency was trying something different, going an unfamiliar way to engage consumers.

While an interesting trend, this is not about the number of words, or even about what they say, although Aaron Sorkin might diagree. This, as is often the case when you want to create breakthrough ideas, is just about thinking differently.

Shameless reminder: Don't miss Chicago Ideas Week and Twist's timely and intriguing panel discussion.

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