Sponsor (Jan-June 1952)

V^yontrary to most people's opinion. I am convinced that the copy requiring the most skill in the writing is that intended for radio. I don't mean to say radio copy as it i-* heard these days (or previously ) is superior to that prepared for any other medium including match covers, or table tents. In fact, as many of my print-writing colleagues are wont to maintain, it is possible that radio copy may be the worst copy written. This perhaps is caused by the composite fact that the least-ad-experienced people are often in the radio-copy department. Nevertheless, the nature of the medium of radio makes writing for it the toughest copy-job in the agency, and, as they say in the commercials, "friends, here's why." Radio is a medium that's onceover-and-done-with, as far as the prospect is concerned; that is, radio gives the listener a single crack at the message, period, and there is no chance to go back and reread. No opportunity to clip it out. No time to linger over a difficult phrase, sentence, or idea. Thus copy written for the ear alone must be the most simply conceived. The ideas it presents must be the most clearly expressed. The transitions which link these ideas must be as smooth as silk, yet minus even a rustle. The logic which develops from this chain of ideas musl be as irrefutable as mathematics and as persuasive as drama. The conclusions which follow musl be incontestable and obvious, believable and memorable. But all this must be achieved through the far slower of our two main means of getting ideas — our ears. For, as we all know, man ia visual-minded sapiens, trained to 54 think in pictures. Our ears can't even hear half that goes on around us. (Got one of those high-frequency dog whistles? ) So — to write for the ear — to write for radio — calls for, as I said, a mastery of the simple and the simplicity of a master. Robert Louis Stevenson once said that good writing is knowing what to leave out. Knowing what to leave out in the way of stumbling adjectives— knowing how naked a verb should be — these are what make for good radio copy. And finally, there's the vitally important knowledge of the vagaries of cadence. Well written radio copy, since it is to be spoken, has to rumble and roll, to dip and to rise with all the cadence a Walt Whitman could command. When it achieves all this plus being delivered by a fine announcer, in the proper setting, nothing can sell better. Not even TV! Unfortunately, I don't suppose there's much of a future these days for a coov man who just writes for radio. Not with TV pushing radio around so mercilessly. But a good television writer will always be called on to do radio copy too — and often. commercial reviews sponsor: The Food Plan \u %< v. Maury Lee & Marshall, New York City PROGRAM: Recordings, WMGM Written to garner inquiries, this recorded campaign is, I'll wager, doing everything intended of it. Bert Lee gives a straight spiel, starting off with the surefire attention-getter, how you can stretch the family-food budget. He then proceeds to tell about The Food Plan which delivers all kinds of food to vou plus a large food freezer in which to keep them — (no money down!). As I understand the plan, your larder is automatically replenished, so you need do no shopping and everything you purchase is sold at quantity prices so it's far lower than usual. The pay-off to the copy is a phone number and an address to write to — leaving enough said and enough to the imagination to get a raft of inquiries. This type of commercial, usually heard only on the indie stations, ought to be must-listening for our current crop of radio copy writers. It may help to keep them ever mindful of the value of straight talk, written without artifice or innuendo and even minus a jingle. sponsor: East River Sayings Bank agency: | Hudson Advertising Co., New York City program: Racbum & Finch, WNF.W It's hard to believe a bank would leave Raeburn and Finch alone long enough with their copy to deliver it in The R. & F. style. But the East River Savings Bank has done just that on their booklet offer (appropriately titled "Treasure Chest"). Starting out with a timely lead-in about income taxes and offering this give-away as a help in the management of one's money, these two put the story into their own dialogue-style. Being dialogue, a long commercial seemed shorter. Being conversation, the copy seemed to come to life and became more believable. How many banks have had the courage or good sense to let such gents as these handle their story, I don't know. But it was wisdom to do this and for my money, the bank's money is in good hands. The New York Times The Arnold Cohan Corp, New York City procram: Recorded Chainbreak The first thing you hear in this capsuledrama espousing The New York Times is an irate citizen saying, "I'll write my Congressman." This 15-second announcement then utilizes a short straight windup in which advice is given that it's smart to be a well-informed citizen and the way to be just that is to read The New York Times. The announcement is excellently produced because the opening voice is SPONSOR