A radio copywriting seminar attendee in Pittsburgh told me that as a college student, he once received a failing grade from a professor for turning in a commercial script that began with a question.
“Never begin a commercial with a question!” bellowed the Professional Educator.
You’ve heard that, too, huh?
Ridiculous.
But his professor offered a reason I hadn’t heard before:
“Who’s going to answer?” he sneered.
Ummm….Only everybody, more or less.
Have you ever been told, “You never should begin a commercial with a question?”
Wait — wait! I just saw you nod your head.
How can you mentally be responding now?
I mean, you’re over there, reading this on your computer monitor.
Meanwhile, I’m writing this from the deck of my 120-foot Hatteras yacht in Marina del Rey, with the seagulls swarming and the late morning breeze stirring my appetite with the aromas from Pete’s Authentic Seaside Hamburger Bistro.
Okay, I don’t own a yacht.
I’m writing this from an Internet cafe in Budapest.
No, seriously, I’m balancing my computer on my lap in a crowded airport lounge in Toronto.
Lies, all of them. But specific enough to paint believable pictures. (You might want to remember to paint vivid, specific pictures in your own ads.)
But here’s what’s important:
Wherever I am right now, you’re not here.
And still you responded to my question, “Have you ever been told, ‘You never should begin a radio commercial with a question?’ ”
Why do you suppose that is?
Comments on this entry are closed.
You CAN start a commercial with a question but it has to be the RIGHT question. Something that requires either a “yes” or “no” response is what will sink a spot before you even get out of the gate.
This made me smile Dan. I knew a copywriter who would always start his ads with a question! My running joke was to start every conversation with him in my Mr Voiceover mode with the words ‘Feeling hungry?….’.
Seriously, I believe questioning can be a useful technique to tap into latent feelings, fears, needs and wants. Sometimes these are unconscious and can be brought to the surface quickly through questioning. One of the most powerful uses of this was for a deaf & blind charity campaign where the spot opens with the slow and soft tone male voice ask ‘What would it be like if you couldn’t hear? (2 seconds silence). Now imagine you also cannot see (2 seconds silence)….
This made me smile Dan. I knew a copywriter who would always start his ads with a question! My running joke was to start every conversation with him in my Mr Voiceover mode with the words ‘Feeling hungry?….’.
Seriously, I believe questioning can be a useful technique to tap into latent feelings, fears, needs and wants. Sometimes these are unconscious and can be brought to the surface quickly through questioning. One of the most powerful uses of this was for a deaf & blind charity campaign where the spot opens with the slow and soft tone male voice ask ‘What would it be like if you couldn’t hear? (2 seconds silence). Now imagine you also cannot see (2 seconds silence)….
Dan, I had a rather lengthy response to this but decided to revise by saying;Your “subtle assumption” that people respond the way you’d like them to, or think they do, isn’t always true.
It wasn’t ME that graded the student that way, I swear!
It wasn’t ME that graded the student that way, I swear!
I also teach radio production, moonlighting at a two-year college in Maryland. And I’m going to go along with most of the comments here, with a strong head-nod to Kelly’s comment.
It’s a matter of the question being too closed-ended: “Are you in the market for…?”, has never worked in my book. Because in three seconds, everyone who is *not* in-the-market-for a new chandelier in the open-air foyer of their McMansion just tuned out. But ask them, “Kinda cold inside, ainnit?”, when you are selling home heating services, and you’ve just asked the right question. Like David pointed out: feelings, fears, needs and wants.