Radio and Television Ads: Clever Vs. Annoying


Ever heard or seen a radio or television commercial that you really liked and actually looked forward to hearing or seeing again only to be assaulted by another one so annoying it made you want to heave your radio or television out the window?

What makes one commercial so enjoyable while others seem to be so abysmal? It's all in the ability to make the listener or viewer remember the ad in a creative, clever way and I'm about to give you some advice on how to do just that so read on!

One of the most successful ways of creating clever ads is to add humor. Unfortunately that's not an easy thing to do as you have probably heard or seen many commercials try and fail. There is a fine line between writing a spot people will laugh and identify with and writing one that falls flat on its face and unfortunately most spots fall into the latter category. The best advice on using humor in ads that I can give you is this: hire a professional who specializes in writing humorous ads. I say this because the majority of advertisers that attempt to write their own funny ads fail miserably. The main reason is because it takes a trained writer to know how to create an ad that includes not only genuinely funny copy, but also perfect timing and the right amount of copy needed to pull it off. Having said this, if you still insist you've written a funny spot for your business the best way to find out is to read it to some unbiased ears which means someone other than your wife, husband, or best friend. Humor in itself is subjective but for the most part if it's funny they'll laugh, and if they don't get it, even if you think it's a real knee slapper, it's time to try another approach. I've written thousands of ads most containing humor but even I don't know for sure how well they will be received once they hit the airwaves. Another tricky part about putting humor in ads is that it takes more time to establish the bit, which means you have less time for the rest of the copy.

The same rule goes for putting voice impersonations in your radio ads. I tend to use voice impressions that I or others do in radio spots from time to time and it can be a real attention getter. However, this can also backfire as I've heard spots where voice impersonations were used just for the sake of putting them in the spot with no real message or tie-in to the product or service. Once again, this is wasted ad dollars.

You may have heard or seen ads you thought were extremely annoying and wondered why the advertiser even bothered. What they've learned is that even bad spots will eventually stick in the mind with enough repetition. The problem here lies with whether what ends up sticking is a negative reinforcement. There's a national jeweler who comes to mind that likes to do his own radio commercials. His nasally voice and dry as sand delivery while quite annoying, have become his trademark. So in essence his annoyance is part of his brand. Successful? Perhaps, but you'd be hard pressed to get me to shop there.

Remember that besides being clever, your ad has to deliver the goods.In other words, ads that are clever just for the sake of being clever won't accomplish much. Have you ever had someone tell you about a funny spot but when you asked who the ad was for, they can't remember? That's a case of the copywriter indulging his or her own cleverness and missing the main point. Your copy must also give the listener or viewer a reason to call or come by and most important, remember your name!

Sometimes a "call to action" works well. This could be in the form of a price point, a special time sensitive sale or a "radio/TV coupon" in which the listener or viewer is told to mention they heard or saw the spot for a special price. It could also involve having the listener or viewer respond immediately as in, "the first 25 people to call now receive..." however, make sure your phone lines can handle the response.

In today's world it takes a clever message to be heard, seen, and remembered above all the mindless advertising banter. And if done right, all the other ads can become "advertising wallpaper" for your clever, stand out, ad campaign!

Hal Eisenberg is an award winning copywriter, voice over talent and producer, as well as owner of The Eisenberg Agency, a full service advertising agency specializing in creative ads that get results.

Visit his web site at http://www.eisenbergagency.com.


More Resources

The Forgotten Advertising Tip
I'm sure while you have seen many tips on advertising, many that talk about testing and tracking your ads, I'm sure that this one important tip is rarely mentioned: Running more than one ad at a time isn't the greatest idea.While it seems like a good idea to spend your monthly advertising budget all at once at the first of the month, is it really gaining you the best exposure? Even if you are running ads on various websites and networks, there is a pretty good chance many of those that see your ad on one site are going to see them on another.
Advertising 101
Advertising has truly become a part of all of our lives as consumers, as business owners, as parents, as concerned citizens. We simply cannot escape from its presence no matter how hard we try.
Advertising Through Moms
Moms have a very powerful influence on what their families eat, drink, wear, do, and buy. Moms are not only the driving force behind their families, but also the economy.
Buying Radio? Read This and Dont Waste Your Money
Pay close attention and make it work the best for you.No doubt you've listened to, and then quickly deleted, messages from account execs from your local radio stations.
How to Make Your Claims Believable
When you hear claims like??Best Lawnmower in the country?Absolute Lowest Prices In Existence?Leaves your hair cleaner than any other shampoo?do you believe them?Or is there a certain degree of doubt in your mind about their credibility? Or whether they are 'hyped up'?Think about it. Everybody expects advertisers to exaggerate their claims.
How To Make Your Resource Box Sell
Ezine Articles - they're everywhere!And little wonder. They're one of the fastestways of building traffic to your website.
See How to Advertise and Gain More Money to Blast Another Project
We have a Great News that we think that may interest you as a Business owner. It is about a Advertising Agency that are preparing to launch and incredible system to help business to earn constant cashflow.
Advertising Copy: What's Really Important?
You labor long and hard trying to create the perfect advertising piece but only about 20% of your copy is going to get read. The rest will simply be scanned.
Attention-Grabbing Fixes that Make Your Yellow Page Ad Leap Off the Page
Stand Out in Ways that Matter to Directory UsersA Yellow Page directory presents a difficult challenge foradvertisers. All the competitors are packed together, withinthe space of a few pages.
Direct Mail Catalogs & Brochures: Write Captions That Sell
Many prospects skim through catalogs and brochures, glancing at the photos and reading the accompanying captions only when a particular image arouses their interest. That's when you have their attention.
Magnetic Signs: Where Do They Work Best?
Recently, a woman called to ask about replacing a magnetic sign she had purchased from another company. Her original sign had actually blown off the side of her car.
Tips On Writing a Successful Ad
When knowledge is based on truth it is powerful!When it is critical knowledge, its presence can drive our success, while its absence may contribute to our failure. I will attempt to convey in this report some useful and practical knowledge about how to write awesome ads for the World Wide Web.
Predictions for 2010
2005 puts us at the mid-point of the first decade of the new millenium. What will things look like at the end of the 1st decade of the new millenium in the world of advertising? I thought I'd project where the ad industry is headed and what 2010 (or sooner) might look like.
Three Keys to Crafting Successful Print Ads
Want to create print ads that get results? Below are three keys to get you started.1.
When Advertising Wears Out
One of the challenges facing marketers is determining the most effective level of advertising exposure for a brand, while maintaining a given budget. Conceptually, the media planner could choose continuous advertising (even exposures spread over a period of time) or follow a strategy of pulsing ("on" for some months and "off" for others).
Do Your Adverts Get You More Sales?
Philadelphia retailer and US Postmaster General, John Wanamaker, once said, "Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half."If you're spending $10,000 a month on advertising $5,000 is going straight down the tubes.
100 Excellent Words and 70 Action Getting Phrases for Ad Writing
100 Excellent Words Absolutely. Amazing.
Cross Cultural Advertising
"Culture is a like dropping an Alka-seltzer into a glass - you don't see it, but somehow it does something,"Hans Magnus Enzensberger.Culture affects everything we do.
Do Your Radio Ads Work?
Most small businesses don't have a high poweredadvertising agency to produce selling radiocommercials for them and end up with somethingakin to a high school play, or with the businessowner reading tired copy.The radio salesperson knows that by suggesting theowner be the star, visions of Dave from Wendys orthat guy with the talking dog who says "roll thatbeautiful bean footage" come to mind.
Diamonds Are For Evil
The task of executing successful advertising campaigns for products made exclusively for women is understatedly tempestuous. Any Average Joe consumer would relay the message that feminine product commercials put him under a great deal of stress and discomfort.

More Advertising Information:

Related Articles

Is Your Yellow Pages Ad Putting Cash in Your Pocket... or Sucking Cash Out?
Any idea? It's a question that more than a few Yellow Page advertisers ponder. If you are currently spending money every month to run an ad in your local directory, you don't want to wrestle with that question.
Ads Dont Sell - People Do !
More about advertising by BIG Mike McDanielAdvertising is not a substitute for good salestechnique and superb customer service. Insertingan ad in a handy newspaper to call attention to aline of goods will not sell those goods unless youcan back it up with intelligent, well directedsales efforts in the store.
Why Your Ads Aren't Working
The president of a manufacturing company recently asked me, "Why isn't my advertising working?" Have you ever been asked this question? Have you ever asked it yourself?Like most marketing communications questions there are no simple answers. After all, communication is a high level activity.
Seven Ways to Waste Your Money on Yellow Pages Advertising
Each year there is a Yellow Pages arms race where competitors in each category are encouraged to out spend each other. There is only one winner in this arms race, and it is not you! Too many advertisers waste their money on Yellow Pages advertising without first considering their marketing strategy.
How to Write Ads that Increase Your Business
I caught myself wracking my brain over what kind of article I should write for newspapers that would be useful to business people. It struck me that I was making a solid effort to get into the mind of my target market.
Seven Ways to Kick Up the Power of Your Print Advertising - More Small Business Power Tools
If you're a retailer and the only kind of advertising you do is built around sales events, you don't need much in the way of advice. All your advertising needs to do is spell out as clearly as possible what's on sale, the amount to be saved and your store's name, address and phone number.
Hit Them With Benefits
More about advertising from BIG Mike McDanielIt makes no difference what media you use toadvertise, the rules are the same. Benefits,benefits, benefits.
How to Use the 3 Most Common Direct Marketing Measurements to Increase Your Profits!
John Wanamaker, a 19th century entrepreneur, once famously made the statement, "I know that half of my advertising is wasted, I just don't know which half." Fortunately for today's marketers, there are scientific ways to determine which half is wasted, and which half is not, through the use of common direct marketing measurements.
How To Make Your Yellow Page Ads Work
I hear it often, "advertising in the Yellow Pages directory doesn't work!" I smile knowingly and wait for a pause in the conversation, and this is what I say in response to their claims?"It's not the medium - it's the message?and it's probable the market too!" Blank stares often accompany that opening statement. But they do work - and they work well? IF you know how to use them.
The Internet and Beyond - 12 Tips on Writing Better Brochures
Every year thousands of online businesses fail. None of them begin with the idea they'll fail, in fact they have high hopes of success, but they fail all the same.
Offline Advertising Secrets: Using Offline Advertising to Get the Most from Your Name Squeeze Page
Many people online are not using one of the best advertising methods around. I'm talking about offline print advertising.
Do I Need Raised Letter or Full Color Business Cards?
If you've been searching around for business cards that will best represent the image you want to portray for your business, then you've no doubt encountered many options. The Big Two, as I like to think of them, are "Raised Letter" and "Full Color.
Top 9 Reasons To Advertise
Advertising is not for every company. But some require it because their market is big and constantly changing and evolving.
Free Internet Advertising: 6 Proven Ways To Prevent Your Competitors From Stealing Your Customers
It is getting harder daily to generate traffic.And when you succeed in getting new customers, you shoulddo all that is possible to avoid losing them to yourcompetitors.
Persistant Advertising Will Do No Harm!
From my experience, I've been on many discussion groups and have spoken to many other like minded people. The one topic that always seems to arise is how to get massive sales right away.
Advertising That Annoys: The Real Story
Critics conclude that entertaining or "creative" commercials sell better than those that are bland. But liking the commercial may not really be that important in the scheme of things.
How to Save Money by Making Your Own Sign
In the sign industry we commonly refer to the material that the sign is made out of as the substrate. Examples include, wood, vinyl banners, aluminum, coroplast, etc.
Tips for Using Paid Advertising
Quite a few business out there can't survive without some type of advertising and/or brand recognition, so advertising your business is one of the most important aspects in running certain types of business. It's also one of the most frequently asked questions for "how to".
Why Radio Advertising Could Be The Best Thing You Ever Did For Your Business
In the marketing world, radio has earned the reputation of being the odd step-cousin. You know the one.
10 Simple Techniques To Make Your Ad Get Powerful Attention
1. Make your ad's keywords and phrases standoutby enlarging the text.