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 among Madison Avenue’s most prestigious, albeit fictional, promoting businesses. Peggy is among the agency’s copywriters, chargeable for writing (and pitching) advert copy. Lou is her boss, the artistic 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 taking a look at Lou. “You didn’t choose a tagline.”

“Certain, I did.” Lou appears at his secretary. “Daybreak, what did I say?”

Daybreak flips by way 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 appears 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.”

While you end writing a tagline, it’s not completed.

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

Certainly, each artistic 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 thought or idea or flip of phrase.

“To promote work I may very well be pleased 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 at all times promote, passionately!”

That’s one method, I assume. However what when you’re not ready to “threaten” or “shove” or “push” your boss? Or, what if performing this fashion — aggressive and domineering — feels unnatural to you? Or uncomfortable? Or, erm … unlawful? Then preserve studying as a result of this Mad Males scene supplies some various recommendation, some timeless knowledge I, as a copywriter, want I’d recognized sooner:

Chicago, 2014.

I really feel nervous. I shake out my arms, 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 way of the opening. “Hey, Rick,” I say. “I’m a bit early—”

Rick is taking a look at his monitor, typing. “No downside.” He appears up and smiles. “Early is sweet.” 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 belongings — touchdown pages, electronic mail campaigns, banner adverts — however I may very well be tapped for different initiatives, too.

“Oh,” I say, “I find it irresistible right here. Everyone’s been so welcoming.”

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

“Certain.”

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

He has some extra espresso. “Or would it not 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 device. A slogan is a advertising device. A tagline ought to differentiate the model — and it’s there for the lengthy haul: may very well be years, and even many years. A slogan ought to categorical the marketing campaign’s particular thought 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 usually.”

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

Writing a tagline doesn’t should be difficult.

It can be. That’s, you can also make it so … however it may also be easy.

You possibly can’t make it simple, sadly. It’s nonetheless artistic work, fraught with choices and self-doubt and, typically, agony. However having a course of — a collection 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 vital. Then, edit for brevity and concision: minimize the phrase depend in half as soon as, twice, 3 times. Doing nice. Preserve 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 normally large. And an enormous phrase won’t ever impress The Reader as a lot as an enormous thought, clearly expressed. Good copy, at first, is known.
• Make it useful. Throughout his profession, copywriter John Caples examined 1000’s of headlines. “The perfect headlines enchantment to individuals’s self-interest,” he stated. So, act accordingly. Your tagline is the headline for your enterprise. Inform of us what’s in it for them.
• Make it amusing. Puns, rhymes, wordplay, metaphors. These items are enjoyable. Individuals like enjoyable. (We keep in mind it, too.)

Performed? Incredible! 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 might have,” stated screenwriter Scott Dikkers, “the extra weight every thought holds in your thoughts.”

Certainly, as a copywriter, fetishizing one “darling” tag is counterproductive. Stifling your ideation prevents you from doing all of your finest work. As a substitute, 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 chop, the higher. Ultimately, you’ll begin slicing concepts you truly 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 technique to produce your best work, which can be the solely work you need to be placing in entrance of shoppers. If you happen to’re requested to deliver “a couple of choices,” each should be viable.

If you happen to wouldn’t need an thought to get picked, don’t deliver it to the desk. I realized this the arduous means:

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

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

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

I had one, the clear winner for my part. “This,” I say with out hesitation, pointing on the display.

Rick’s face turns bitter. “Eh,” he says, “I favor this one.” He’s pointing some place else. “Let’s go along 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 appears again at me. He’s pursing his lips now. “Yeah,” he says, pointing at his choice, “it’s this one for me.”

Murphy’s Legislation tells us, “Something that may go flawed, will go flawed.”

Copywriter’s Legislation tells us one thing related:

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

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

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

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