Production Question

[ne_husker_fan]

How does your station write commercials? Do you have a creative service person? Do you have your client write the copy? Or does the Sales staff write the copy?

Is it common that you let the advertiser hear the commercial before you air it, without there request?

 

[Ramblin]

Our sellers write most of their clients' copy. I think that's the way it is in most non-rated markets these days. There's no such thing as a "creative team" with our limited staff. Sometimes the client will supply an idea, which the seller will pass along to the producer to be "creative" with. And, we get a lot of clients doing their own commercials.

In all of these scenarios, if a few simple guidelines are put into place, the finished product can sound very good. I'm talking about making sure 1), no copyrighted material is used, 2), clients voicing their own copy actually identify themselves in the copy (you'd be surprised at how many don't), 3), your own talent stays in third person, 4), and that all production is processed the same. Those just off the top of my head.

Surprisingly (to me, at least), most of our clients do not require approval of their commercials before they air. I think a client's approval is entirely within their right. After all, it's their money and that's what they're buying. It also covers your butt as a broadcaster when the client has signed off on the finished product. If I were the client, I'd have final approval on anything I was buying.

 

[BenTehelenbach]

Let me add one more guideline: Write for the ear, not the eye. For example, we all learned in school that it's improper to write using contractions and prepositions at the end of sentences, yet we use 'em in normal conversation. Our ears prefer to be spoken TO, not AT. It's a real challenge to get advertisers, radio salespeople, agency writers, and even broadcast copywriters to understand this concept.

 

[u-j]

Just to dovetail on what you said, when you write you should be able to hear the words being spoken (or is that just me and those voices again?). It's not a letter or a theme for class, you're telling a story. Be sure the listener can easily understand.

 

[txradiochick]

Oh Lordy...there's soooo much to be said about the art form of writing a commercial that people will listen to. Yes, it has to be conversational...you have to reach so part of the listener....either the mind, the heart or the funny bone for them to stay tune. Being creative works. Never start a commercial out with "ATTENTION." LOL...unless you want the listeners to immediately switch to your competition. Think about what it would take to interest you in the product. What is it about THIS particular insurance company that stands out...oh, and please GAWD don't say customer service. ARRGH! Unless it's a club spot...there's no reason to clutter it up with lots of different processing. Clean, honest, to the point and most of all....BE REAL!

Just my two cents worth....

 

[Zippy Simpson]

The most important thing a copywriter can do is to put themself in the place of the listener, who is bombarded with thousands upon thousands of marketing messages daily. Who is the target? Why does this message matter to them? Stick to the core message and avoid ad speak that we've all evolved into tuning out. Creativity is good, as long as you can get the core message across. You don't want someone to hear a funny spot then have no idea what was being advertised. Questions are a good way to start a spot - but ever since someone said "Questions are good," we've been bombarded with the same old "Are you tired...", "Have you been looking..." kind of craptacular questions. A better use is a surprising question. It's hard to resist a surprising question.

 

[u-j]

As Dick Orkin said at a seminar I attended, make it believable or completely unbelievable.

 

[inthebag]

Personally, I've always been a bit gun-shy about opening a commercial with a question. More often than not, an opening question qualifies the listener and can exclude them from your message. For example, if you start a commercial with "Are you paying too much for car insurance?" and the listener's first thought is "No, I'm not", then you've lost them for the rest of the 60 seconds.

Another personal peeve is wasting precious commercial time with telephone numbers when the client does not do business over the phone, such as putting the phone number in three times in a commercial for a fast-food restaurant. Are you going to call them from your car to ask if the fries are hot?

But more than that, let's finally have a decent Viking funeral and bury all those tired, old radio commercial cliches that never really said anything. We can start with:

"Conveniently located"
"Made with the freshest ingredients"
"Prices you can afford"
"With service after the sale"

And my all-time favorite:

"Can solve all of your _____________ needs."

Feel free to add yours.

 

[Zippy Simpson]

Bury these:
"You do the math!" I don't want to do math. I just want to listen to the radio.
"Come meet our friendly staff."

...and I'm sure there are many, many more.

Re: use of questions: Every spot isn't for every person, so it's OK if some are excluded. If I'm not in the market for a new car, nothing you say in your spot is going to change my mind. Of course, that's why longterm radio advertising works best - because eventually I'll want a new car and will start paying attention to those ads. Meanwhile, your job as a copywriter is to identify a problem and solve it.

 

[BenTehelenbach]

I just came across another concept that must be buried: The EMERGENCY SALE!!! complete with siren sound effects. I'm trying to talk the salesperson into talking the client out of this darling.

 

[SandySanford]

Okay here we go... You have thrown a pitch right in the wheel house for us.

My on air staff and production staff has the authority to send back ANY commercial to a sales person if it contains any of the following words:

"For all your _______ needs..."

"Proud to sponsor _________ ..."

"Open from hours ______..."

And almost any other cliche'. One thing we do not allow is a lazily written spot.

And I agree wholeheartedly with the comment. Either totally believable or completely unbelievable.

If we made pillows we would be judged on the comfort, quality, durability, design, and appearance of the pillow. Well we don't sell pillows, we sell commercials and we will be judged on the great qualities of that commercial.

I don't know about other stations, but here... Our Production Staff has a lot of authority to reject a spot.

The shame is we still get spots from out of state agencies that would not pass our test...

Btw, Zippy, do I have your permission to use the term "craptacular?"

GOOD PRODUCTION WILL KILL A STATION...

GREAT PRODUCTION WILL KILL YOUR COMPETITION...

 

[txradiochick]

Very nicely put Sandy...I'll even go one step further. Now that I've switched over to the dark side and I'm in sales now instead of being a production director...I think it's very important for your production director to be trained in sales. I luckily chose a station that trained me for sales...really trained me. I've learned more about production in the last few months that I've ever known. I cringe when I think about the commercials I produced at KLAZ before I really knew what sales was all about.

Okay here we go... You have thrown a pitch right in the wheel house for us.

My on air staff and production staff has the authority to send back ANY commercial to a sales person if it contains any of the following words:

"For all your _______ needs..."

"Proud to sponsor _________ ..."

"Open from hours ______..."

And almost any other cliche'. One thing we do not allow is a lazily written spot.

And I agree wholeheartedly with the comment. Either totally believable or completely unbelievable.

If we made pillows we would be judged on the comfort, quality, durability, design, and appearance of the pillow. Well we don't sell pillows, we sell commercials and we will be judged on the great qualities of that commercial.

I don't know about other stations, but here... Our Production Staff has a lot of authority to reject a spot.

The shame is we still get spots from out of state agencies that would not pass our test...

Btw, Zippy, do I have your permission to use the term "craptacular?"

GOOD PRODUCTION WILL KILL A STATION...

GREAT PRODUCTION WILL KILL YOUR COMPETITION...

 

[inthebag]

Sandy,

All I can say is; Wow! It's great to see someone who still gets it, and understands that the commercial is the product. Unfortunately, stations like yours are quickly becoming the exception, not the rule.

While we're at it, let's not forget the copy information that's passed on to the production department. Some of the real gems I had to deal with included:

Orders for restaurant commercials where the copy info was nothing but one of their menus attached to the order.

Production orders with nothing but a two-by-two inch Yellow Pages ad attached.

A notation under Copy Instructions that said; "Take a look at their website"

And the all-time classic, an order (which I still have a photocopy of) with no information other than the client's store name and address, with instructions to "put together a standard commercial". I guess that meant the client didn't want the deluxe model with power steering and a CD player.

To top it off, all of these jewels came from a large cluster in market #12.

So let me repeat your absolutely correct mantra, and add one line:

GOOD PRODUCTION WILL KILL STATION
GREAT PRODUCTION WILL KILL YOUR COMPETITION
GREAT PRODUCTION STARTS WITH THE COPY, AND NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU RUB, YOU CAN'T POLISH A T*#D

...and some people wondered why I had a small sign posted on the production console that proclaimed it to be Your Basic Sow's Ear To Silk Purse Converter Model 3000B

 

[Zippy Simpson]

Btw, Zippy, do I have your permission to use the term "craptacular?"


I have no copyright on that term or its close cousin, "craptastic."

 

[Noiseboxxx]

my favorite "no-no" is any and all spots with the term "Located at: ________________"

when i see that, i know exactly which sales person that is from. it is on each and every one of his spots.

when i find his "form-book" for spots (obviously it's a 1-pager), i'm burning it.

 

[SandySanford]

My hypocrisy is showing... Today I heard a promo on my news talk station that said "_______ is proud to sponsor the noon report of Paul Harvey News and Comments..."

Believe me it will be changed tomorrow!

Because that spot was CRAPTASTICALLY CRAPTACULAR

Tracey, you truly are on the dark side now!!! (Evil Empire and all)

 

[txradiochick]

Believe it or not Sandy, I like sales. I like the process and the hunt....you know, just the stalking of my prey and all. Silly me, I've always believe that the client should come first. We, meaning everyone invovled in a radio station, should strive to put out the best quality spot for them. Our job is to market their business so people will want to come shop. It's simple. The spoken word is very powerful and every word in a spot should count if not, you're cheating the client, the listener and your own pocketbook.

My hypocrisy is showing... Today I heard a promo on my news talk station that said "_______ is proud to sponsor the noon report of Paul Harvey News and Comments..."

Believe me it will be changed tomorrow!

Because that spot was CRAPTASTICALLY CRAPTACULAR

Tracey, you truly are on the dark side now!!! (Evil Empire and all)

 

[ne_husker_fan]

So the bottom line is....................

The businesses that have commercials on the air, are giving us our paycheck. So, pretend you are the business owner after every commercial, and think, is this quality or is this crap. I would say 90% of the time, the first time you listen to the ad, you will think it is crap, also. But, don't just don't convince yourself that it is "airable". Cut it again. And yes, music levels are important also, choose ear candy, something to help identify the business. I suggested to the clients to keep the samd music cut for every commercial outside of christmas season.

 

[txradiochick]

Yup...at least, that's what I try to do. I think there's a "feel" to it. When you know you've got it right most likely you do. You HAVE to give the listerner a reason to listen to it. Tickle their heart, their head or their funny bone...and please GOD, don't YELL at them. I wish that car dealer's would get through their heads that potential buyers don't have to be screamed at to notice an ad.

So the bottom line is....................

The businesses that have commercials on the air, are giving us our paycheck. So, pretend you are the business owner after every commercial, and think, is this quality or is this crap. I would say 90% of the time, the first time you listen to the ad, you will think it is crap, also. But, don't just don't convince yourself that it is "airable". Cut it again. And yes, music levels are important also, choose ear candy, something to help identify the business. I suggested to the clients to keep the samd music cut for every commercial outside of christmas season.

 

[salchris]

What a great thread, and as prod ppl we've all had at least one of these craptacular things happen to us once. I once had a production order with a cocktail napkin attached to it (lipstick and all ) and then there was the time I got a piece of handwritten "copy" from the client complete with misspelled words, no punctuation, and even more craptacular the phone number 12 times.

My take on great commercials is that the copy has to be written to sell the product as creativly as possible. Write like you talk and you'll have a great spot

Larson
KUDL/KYYS Kansas City