On Writing a Tagline (and Pitching It, Too)

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Peggy, Lou, and Daybreak are characters on Mad Males, the 60s interval drama about one in every of Madison Avenue’s most prestigious, albeit fictional, promoting businesses. Peggy is likely one of the agency’s copywriters, liable for writing (and pitching) advert copy. Lou is her boss, the inventive director. Daybreak, a secretary, retains everybody organized.

The trio are assembly a few new account, a watch firm known as Accutron.

“Oh,” says Peggy. She’s Lou. “You didn’t decide a tagline.”

“Certain, I did.” Lou seems to be at his secretary. “Daybreak, what did I say?”

Daybreak flips by means of her notes. “You stated, ‘Simply In Time To Be On Time.'”

“That wasn’t one of many selections—” Peggy interjects. “I feel that was a digression.”

“How about ‘Accutron Is Correct,’” Lou says. “That was one of many selections, I’m constructive.”

Peggy lowers her chin. “I like ‘It’s Time For A Dialog,'” she says. She’s smiling, making eye contact. She’s promoting now. “I feel that one’s extra completed.”

The director seems to be again at her. He’s peering over his glasses now. “And I feel you’re placing me within the place of claiming, I don’t care what you suppose.”

Whenever you end writing a tagline, it’s not performed.

It’s not performed till another person reads it, nods, and says, “That’s the one.”

Certainly, each inventive individual is a salesman, too. In copywriting — or any promoting self-discipline, for that matter — the powers that be should purchase into your work, your concept or idea or flip of phrase.

“To promote work I could possibly be happy with,” stated artwork director George Lois, “I’ve needed to rant, rave, threaten, shove, push, cajole, persuade, wheedle, exaggerate, flatter, manipulate, be obnoxious, be loud, often lie, and all the time promote, passionately!”

That’s one strategy, I suppose. However what if you happen to’re not ready to “threaten” or “shove” or “push” your boss? Or, what if appearing this manner — aggressive and domineering — feels unnatural to you? Or uncomfortable? Or, erm … unlawful? Then maintain studying as a result of this Mad Males scene gives some different recommendation, some timeless knowledge I, as a copywriter, want I’d identified sooner:

Chicago, 2014.

I really feel nervous. I shake out my palms, take a breath, and knock on the door.

I hear my CEO’s muffled voice. “Are available in.”

I crack the door and peek by means of the opening. “Hey, Rick,” I say. “I’m a bit early—”

Rick is his monitor, typing. “No downside.” He seems to be up and smiles. “Early is nice.” He slurps some espresso. “Come on in.” He places the mug down with a thud. “Shut the door.”

I purse my lips, nod, and step into his workplace, closing the door behind me. Rick gestures at one of many chairs in entrance of his desk. “Have a seat,” he says. I sit down. “How’s your first week going?”

I’m a copywriter, 4 days into my first position at Rick’s advertising company. It’s a small, busy store, specializing in lead-gen web sites. I used to be employed on the again of my direct advertising expertise and instructed I’d be specializing in writing conversion property — landing pages, e mail campaigns, banner advertisements — however I could possibly be tapped for different tasks, too.

“Oh,” I say, “I like it right here. All people’s been so welcoming.”

“Nice to listen to.” Rick crosses his arms and leans again. “I’ve received a venture for you.”

“Certain.”

“I would like you to write down us a brand new tagline.”

He has some extra espresso. “Or wouldn’t it be a slogan?” He put the mug down. “I dunno.”

The distinction is nuanced however taglines and slogans aren’t interchangeable. Mainly, a tagline helps the objectives of a enterprise whereas a slogan helps the objectives of a particular marketing campaign. A tagline is a branding instrument. A slogan is a advertising instrument. A tagline ought to differentiate the model — and it’s there for the lengthy haul: could possibly be years, and even many years. A slogan ought to categorical the marketing campaign’s particular concept or message — and it has a shorter shelf life. A tagline is kind of perennial. A slogan will change with each marketing campaign.

“I feel a tagline,” I say. “If it’s for the enterprise generally.”

“Sure, a tagline,” Rick says. “Are you able to carry me a couple of choices by subsequent week?” he asks. “Is that sufficient time?”

Writing a tagline doesn’t need to be sophisticated.

It can be. That’s, you can also make it so … nevertheless it will also be easy.

You’ll be able to’t make it straightforward, sadly. It’s nonetheless inventive work, fraught with choices and self-doubt and, typically, agony. However having a course of — a sequence of clear, dependable steps — could make it easy, much less daunting.

For instance, most taglines are synthesized expressions of both:

So, to write down a tagline, merely begin by writing out your PS or USP in as many phrases as mandatory. Then, edit for brevity and concision: lower the phrase rely in half as soon as, twice, thrice. Doing fantastic. Hold going till you’re left with a sentence, one line. Then, put down the ax. It’s time to finesse, to make your tagline engaging to the lots:

• Make it clear. No fancy jargon, please. Fancy phrases are often large. And an enormous phrase won’t ever impress The Reader as a lot as an enormous concept, clearly expressed. Good copy, in the beginning, is known.
• Make it useful. Throughout his profession, copywriter John Caples examined 1000’s of headlines. “The perfect headlines enchantment to folks’s self-interest,” he stated. So, act accordingly. Your tagline is the headline for your enterprise. Inform people what’s in it for them.
• Make it amusing. Puns, rhymes, wordplay, metaphors. This stuff are enjoyable. Individuals like enjoyable. (We keep in mind it, too.)

Accomplished? Improbable! Now, rinse and repeat. Go once more, and once more, and once more. High quality comes from amount as a result of quantity is illuminating: the extra you write, the much less treasured and extra goal you’ll be about every line, which is the purpose.

“The less concepts you have got,” stated screenwriter Scott Dikkers, “the extra weight every concept holds in your thoughts.”

Certainly, as a copywriter, fetishizing one “darling” tag is counterproductive. Stifling your ideation prevents you from doing all of your greatest work. As an alternative, have many tags, many choices. Don’t begin with solely three or 4 or 5. There’s not sufficient there, not sufficient slack. You’ll be compelled to settle. Higher to start out with 20 or much more — and pare down. The extra you narrow, the higher. Finally, you’ll begin slicing concepts you really like. That is the mark of true progress.

“Kill your darlings,” stated Stephen King. “Kill your darlings, even when it breaks your selfish little scribbler’s coronary heart.”

Sure, kill your darlings. It’s the one solution to produce your most interesting work, which can be the solely work you need to be placing in entrance of purchasers. In the event you’re requested to carry “a couple of choices,” every one should be viable.

In the event you wouldn’t need an concept to get picked, don’t carry it to the desk. I realized this the onerous means:

“Subsequent week is okay,” I inform Rick. “I’ll flip it round.”

Every week later, I’m in his workplace once more. This time, I’ve a handful of tags for him to evaluate.

“Nice work, Ed—” he says, flipping by means of the deck I created. “What’s your favourite?”

I had one, the clear winner in my view. “This,” I say with out hesitation, pointing on the display screen.

Rick’s face turns bitter. “Eh,” he says, “I favor this one.” He’s pointing some place else. “Let’s go together with this one.”

I decrease my chin. “I actually like this one,” I say. I’m smiling, making eye contact. I’m promoting now, explaining my choices: the readability of the message, the inclusion of a profit, the creativity of the phrasing. “It’s gotta be this one,” I say, pointing at my choice.

Rick seems to be again at me. He’s pursing his lips now. “Yeah,” he says, pointing at his choice, “it’s this one for me.”

Murphy’s Regulation tells us, “Something that may go unsuitable, will go unsuitable.”

Copywriter’s Regulation tells us one thing comparable:

“Any concept that may be picked, will probably be picked.”

“Why would you set one thing in entrance of me that you simply don’t need me to select?” says Lou.

“Since you instructed me to present you two concepts,” says Peggy.

Lou takes a beat. “You apparently solely gave me one.”