Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1962)

'BUYER'S VIEWPOINT By Tony Wainwright copywriter N. W. Ayer & Son Chicago How good are your commercials? Even in the marvelous age of mechanization, women have plenty to keep them busy around their homes. They make the beds, dust and vacuum, feed the little ones, and peck away at a dozen odd jobs. Often, their television sets are on. The sets are in use, but are they being watched? Too many daytime commercials are concerned with video technique, rather than examining the effectiveness of their word-stories. Today, daytime programs (and even evening fare) are being used as a form of radio, with occasional glances at the pictures. Something is needed to "hook" the viewer. Whatever the device, a jingle, an immediately-recognizable theme, or a familiar copy line, the hard fact is that today's "wandering viewer" must be intrigued into spending a minute with the sponsor's story. If too much emphasis is placed on video, intricate matting, and involved design panels, the viewer may never get it. Home television reception isn't ideal and the commercial picture may be quite dif ferent from the one seen in an agency screening room. It seems as though the odds are stacked against successful reception of commercials, but many problem areas are overcome every day by successful examples. Too many commercials try to sa\ too much. One minute is plenty brief, so you must hit fast and hard. A viewer won't remember everything, but he may recall a single idea repeated enough times. This idea can be handled in different ways: by copy, or the use of music, or the visual expression of a symbol. Marlboro does all three, gently, without screaming, and yet the viewer is left with the feeling that "you get a lot to like in a Marlboro." Anacin also uses the "unique selling proposition*' dwelling on a single copy point. The cold fact is that people are no longer hypnotized by their set. Its glow may light up a corner of the room, but its programs are watched intermittently. The viewer has conditioned himself to doing other things at the same time. Letters are written during Cheyenne; Tony Wainwright, currently copywriter for Illinois Bell Telephone at N. W. Ayer 6" Son, Chicago, has also -worked in the creative departments of Leo Burnett and McCann-Erickson agencies. In this article, he states 10 rules for creating good television copy, explaining how their use will best provoke a response in the viewer, and overcome household competition. newspapers are skimmed while Huntle) and Brinkley talk to each other; Mom does her nails and Dad shines his shoes right smack in the middle of a Dick Powell advent me. Clients and accounl men shiver at this thought, and with reason. Even buying a high-rated time slot doesn't insure a buying audience, not if the commercials don't do their end of the job. How many top programs haven't sold i heir products? Maybe the show was wrong for the individual product but, likely, the commercials weren't strong enough to hold their audience— even for one minute. Let's examine a checklist for improving the commercial message: 1. Make it brief. Confine your message to one or two copy points. 2. Repeat your message. Make sure the viewer gets it. :>. Study your audience before searching for approaches. Use words and pictures that will alert and captivate. Your non-broadcast competition is formidable. I. Examine uncomplicated symbols. Will they help your stoi \ ? 5. Think of music and jingles. A familiar tune will often do the work ol many words with a lot less strain on the viewer. Remember, make it as easy as possible for your audience. i). Make sure your pictures are clear. Don't load-up on tricky effects that require perfect reception. 7. Does your commercial tell its product story? Don't be arty for the joy of being creative. Your job is to sell, not to win awards. S. Look for different ways to tell an old story. The viewer appreciates something new. It will grab his attention — and that's hall the battle. !>. Wear a do/en different hats when constructing a commercial. lie a writer, a researcher, an account man. your client and the consumer. The latter is most important. A writer who isn't interested in people can't be good. in. And finally, appraise othei commercials. \Vh\ ate so few outstanding? What makes them good? Commercials are the heart ami mils o| the television business, and from top management on down. they deserve more skilled attention. ^ SPONSOR/ 15 October 1962 69