The plot thickens...
I’ve lost count of the number of script brief meetings I’ve attended where the client has closed proceedings with, "If we could have something like those Nescafe ads where the bloke and the lady end up falling in love…that would be brilliant."
Well, weaving a local motor dealer’s part exchange offer into a 12 part radio romance is a stretch for any copywriter – but it’s possible (I know, I’ve done it) albeit rather more expensive to produce and broadcast. The cost and complexity is somehow missing the point though. The thing that made the Nescafe ads so popular was that they told a story.
People love stories. You could argue that the human race and the idea of a society couldn’t have developed without them.
The characters, the plots, the twists – they hook you in and direct you to develop emotional responses and affiliations with the protagonists…it’s powerful stuff, and you can well imagine how one might want to harness those emotions for your brand.
Photo By Fernando Hernandez
But you don’t have to create a series of episodes with a cast of characters to make people listen to your story.
Any commercial that addresses a real consumer need, or frustration, and does so in a way that chimes with the listener, unconsciously casts them in their own story. The trick is making that story realistic, believable, and have a plot with a happy ending.
So, if you wanted to sell a bed on the radio, the best story to tell is not one around unrealistic romantic conquests. For most of us the most desirable plot would involve a deep refreshing sleep!
When we ask our clients WHO are we talking to, WHAT do we want them to do, and WHY should they do it – it’s not so that we can produce an ad containing a long list of products and prices, it’s so we can write the best story possible to sell your products.
If your radio commercials don’t tell effective and compelling stories that work for your brand, we can help you wake up and smell the coffee!
