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On Words...by Katie McGuire

(December 2001)

Making words memorable

There are two things I'll never forget about my first real ad agency job. First was the Elvis Presley memorial that resided in my office. It had been there for years, gradually spreading from a single poster on the wall to an entire wall covered with memorabilia that spilled onto the nearby coffee table and floor. I think my favorite was the nearly life-size ceramic bust, although there was a pink heart-shaped pillow bearing The King's image which I also found quite dreamy. In the end, it was a toss-up, really.

The second, and a little more to the point, was a framed ad. It had been written by one of the agency's esteemed and established and had won several awards. I believe it was there to inspire my entry-level mind. It was an ad for Subway and it went something like this:

They say even the best
subliminal ads never work!
SUBWAY

The repetition of seeing it every day certainly has something to do with the fact that the line still runs through my head (and often out my mouth) whenever I eat a sub sandwich; however, it worked on a large audience. Here's my opinion why:

The ad puts into play two great strategies for achieving memorable phrases. First: Play easy games. The phrase makes the reader think, but is also easy to figure out. Irony, such as an ad making fun of ads, along with puns and other clever games, stimulate the mind without too much work. Second: Make 'em laugh. When people laugh, they remember...and remember fondly. I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone say, "Boy, if I'd seen Bob Dole's Viagra ads before he ran, I woulda voted for him!"

Here are some other tricks:

1) Stay short and sweet: Simply put, "Got milk?"

2) Be a poet: A poet seeks to invoke all the senses through his or her writing. The more senses you invoke, the more likely your words will stick. There are three poetic elements that also serve as mnemonic devices and can be quite effective when used carefully. They are as follows: Rhyme, but be careful. It doesn't take much for a rhyme to go awry. At the same time, a good (short) rhyme lingers in the brain and can be worth a thousand words. (eg."Plop, plop, fiz, fiz..."); Alliterate, "she sells sea shells by the sea shore" should be sufficient; Keep time, both rhyme and rhythm play to the auditory senses. Rhythmic sentences, like song lyrics, lend themselves naturally to repetition. (eg. "We'll sell no wine before it's time.")

3) Be smart: It's all gimmicks and everyone knows it. We live in an ad-savvy society. If you had to think too long to make that pun work, or if you had to use words that stretch to meet your meaning and achieve a rhyme, alliteration or rhythm--you're probably off track. Finding the line between effective and absurd can be tricky. My final advice? When in doubt, go back to #1. Short and to-the-point will always reach a portion of your audience.

So, we've talked about how to make words memorable, but is the message you want to convey coming through? Next issue I'll discuss how to determine and drive home your message.

Thank you, thank you very much.

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On Words...by Katie McGuire (December 2001) Making words memorable There are two things I'll never forget about my first real ad agency job. First was the Elvis Presley memorial that resided in my office. It had been there for years, gradually spreading from a single poster on the wall to an entire wall covered with memorabilia that spilled onto the nearby coffee table and floor. I think my favorite was the nearly life-size ceramic bust, although there was a pink heart-shaped pillow bearing The King's image which I also found quite dreamy. In the end, it was a toss-up, really. The second, and a little more to the point, was a framed ad. It had been written by one of the agency's esteemed and established and had won several awards. I believe it was there to inspire my entry-level mind. It was an ad for Subway and it went something like this: They say even the best subliminal ads never work! SUBWAY The repetition of seeing it every day certainly has something to do with the fact that the line still runs through my head (and often out my mouth) whenever I eat a sub sandwich; however, it worked on a large audience. Here's my opinion why: The ad puts into play two great strategies for achieving memorable phrases. First: Play easy games. The phrase makes the reader think, but is also easy to figure out. Irony, such as an ad making fun of ads, along with puns and other clever games, stimulate the mind without too much work. Second: Make 'em laugh. When people laugh, they remember...and remember fondly. I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone say, "Boy, if I'd seen Bob Dole's Viagra ads before he ran, I woulda voted for him!" Here are some other tricks: 1) Stay short and sweet: Simply put, "Got milk?" 2) Be a poet: A poet seeks to invoke all the senses through his or her writing. The more senses you invoke, the more likely your words will stick. There are three poetic elements that also serve as mnemonic devices and can be quite effective when used carefully. They are as follows: Rhyme, but be careful. It doesn't take much for a rhyme to go awry. At the same time, a good (short) rhyme lingers in the brain and can be worth a thousand words. (eg."Plop, plop, fiz, fiz..."); Alliterate, "she sells sea shells by the sea shore" should be sufficient; Keep time, both rhyme and rhythm play to the auditory senses. Rhythmic sentences, like song lyrics, lend themselves naturally to repetition. (eg. "We'll sell no wine before it's time.") 3) Be smart: It's all gimmicks and everyone knows it. We live in an ad-savvy society. If you had to think too long to make that pun work, or if you had to use words that stretch to meet your meaning and achieve a rhyme, alliteration or rhythm--you're probably off track. Finding the line between effective and absurd can be tricky. My final advice? When in doubt, go back to #1. Short and to-the-point will always reach a portion of your audience. So, we've talked about how to make words memorable, but is the message you want to convey coming through? Next issue I'll discuss how to determine and drive home your message. Thank you, thank you very much. <<last next>> top
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