You know I’m a copywriter. As such, I can’t help noticing when copy could be better (you might have seen my posts on LinkedIn where I share examples).
I heard a radio ad recently for Specsavers, where the voiceover was recognisably Rob Brydon. But the script he was reading talked about “We” and “Our”, as though he were representing the business as an owner or employee.
Here’s the announcement about the campaign, on Audiology > link
What’s the sense of using a celeb to add credibility when you make the celeb say something that’s incredible (in the sense of unbelievable)?
And what’s the point of using a comedian, such as Rob, if you don’t let him have an input into the script so it’s at least a little bit funny? It seems to me like a complete waste of their skillset.
Rob does a lot of ads. In the January 2024 episode of 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown, they entertainingly spun a wheel of his ads for him to read.
Watch it on IMDB > link
See Rob demonstrating his car advertisement skills on Top Gear:
And here he is, advertising Crunchy Nut (back when advertisers allowed him to use his comedic acting ability):
Another celebrity VO is Kevin McCloud and Hammonds. Don’t be fooled. It’s not an endorsement of Kevin’s own business. He’s saying words he’s been paid to say. And the words are terrible: “Simple clever storage solutions”. Eek! We copywriters get twitchy when clients insist we use the word ‘solutions’.
Apart from presumably being happy to take the money, I was curious to know what celebrities think about recording ad scripts. Here’s what Tom Baker said in 1978:
“I performed for Norsca Foam Baths and they seemed quite pleased by my enthusiasm. I find it quite interesting to try and give credibility to a blatant sell.”
Source: https://cuttingsarchive.org/images/9/9e/1978-03-19_Sunday_Times.jpg
More car copy I don’t like
Maybe I overthink these things. I can’t help it. It’s the way my copywriting brain works. But I get annoyed by the script of the Nissan ads. For example:
“Who said electricity can’t be adventurous?
Who said adventure needs time to recharge?”
Nissan X-Trail
“Who said electricity can’t be bold?
Cool can’t be cool?
Can’t spark something?”Nissan Juke
Nobody. Nobody said any of that.
The best word in those ads is the word ‘Unplugged’.
What about copy I like?
Here are some examples:
- Pet Plan. The voiceover is by ‘the supervet’, Noel Fitzpatrick. The script is OK, because it’s from his own point of view. It starts: “As a vet…”
- Pets at Home. “Sale now unleashed” (we copywriters love a pun). Mind you, I am confused why they chose Meatloaf’s “I would do anything for love” as the backing track. That’s from the Bat out of Hell album, and I know all (yes, all) the lyrics.
- “What makes Suzuki cars different? Some say fun… simplicity… warm fuzzy grannies”. That appealed to me because fun and simplicity are two of my brand values. And I use ‘warm fuzzy’ craft balls in one of my audience participation activities.
What this means to you
Copywriters can’t stop writing. We’re writing, and rewriting, all the time, in our minds.
So, when you want words that are really carefully thought out, whether for an ad or a website or a newsletter or an email or a blog post or a video script or a case study or or or, you know who to call.
