Less Is More

by Steve Fodor

This almost always happens when reviewing initial advertising concepts. Several concepts get reviewed. There’s always one that generates an immediate reaction from the client and the account manager. You can see it on their faces and they say, “Yea…that’s the one.”

Great! They reacted to an ad they way the audience would. “Got it in the first few seconds and I had a positive reaction.” Typically, that’s about all the time the reader is going to give you to make an impression with an ad.

Then, a few days go by and the temptation to ask, “What if the ad said this, too? And what if…?” and so on. All of a sudden, the copy gets much, much longer. The headline even changes to become more literal. Now, an ad concept that evoked an immediate emotional response starts to read like a full-line product brochure.

An ad is one element in the marketing communications mix. An ad positions the appeal of your brand. It delivers that emotional impact and lets the reader make the connection themselves – without pounding a long list of features and benefits into their heads. That’s what Web sites, brochures and salespeople are for.

Less copy is often more when you want the reader to make that connection themselves in their own minds.

I read a story recently about Ernest Hemingway, my favorite author. While sitting in a bar, Hemingway was challenged by another bar patron to write a complete story in six words or less. After finishing his drink, Hemingway wrote: For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn. In six words, Hemingway told a story covering an entire life and evoked interest. Bar patrons began to beg Hemingway for more of the story. They were drawn in and wanted to know more. “Buy it when it’s published,” Hemingway said.

An ad should be so simple, yet effective at generating interest and emotions.

Flickr Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hooverine/