Every so often, you’ll hear an actor, producer of director thank the scriptwriter for the accolades they have received for a particular project. I’ve heard some say that without the stories, there is no movie. Screenwriting is a different animal, but a similar discipline. Screenwriters are in the business to create stories that people will pay attention to. Copywriters, theoretically, are in the same business. Every campaign demands that there is not just a call to action, but a story behind it as well.

After the creative brief and concept is locked down, we dig deeply into the copy phase. By this step, you should have clearly established what the “story” of the advertiser is and be able to consistently articulate that in the copy. Over the years, we’ve all been exposed to different techniques and tricks. We’ve also been told that there are plenty of “musts” in any spot (cite the phone number three times, a compelling opening phrase, etc.). That’s all well and good, but also consider that the competition for attention is harder than ever and, in some cases, the old “rules” might not apply. This is not to say that you should abandon any of what you’ve been taught, but rather open your mind (and writing) to something different.

Each client and category demands something different. In some cases, it’s about being more direct. A great example, in my opinion, is the ProActiv campaign. It’s very distinct, very direct and does the job well. In some cases, it’s more nuanced like the beautiful work done by Devito/Verdi for Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York. It’s serious, but gets it point across extremely well. Or, it could be all about humor like DDB/Chicago’s Bud Light’s “Real Men of Genius” or The Richards Group’s Motel 6. (Go to the Radio Mercury Awards website to listen to some examples of well-written work.)

Once we think of the tone, we just write, write and write some more. Some if it will be great; some of it will be good. Other times, it might just be garbage, but it’s valuable to get as much out there to find that seed that can grow the creative and the campaign. There is no hard and fast rule, but we seem to find that for local spots especially, we go through three to five versions before we get what we think will really work.

But the bottom line is that when you get to this step, just let it rip and see what happens.

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