Copywriters' Workshop

Come to the Swedish/Ballard ER housewarming.
See something
new in Ballard
that isn’t a condo.

Every birth that takes place at Swedish — and there have been more than 200,000 of them — is a
remarkable event. But the 1935 arrival of David Ishii is quite another story.
Sadly, his mother died in childbirth, and David’s father was ill equipped to take care of a newborn. So,
Mr. Ishii made arrangements with Swedish to care for his new son while he took his six other children to
Japan where relatives could look after them.
What was supposed to be a brief absence turned into 31/2 years. So David grew up at Swedish with a
whole team of mothers — all dressed in starched white uniforms.
To this day, David remembers accompanying Swedish’s founder, Dr. Nils Johanson, around the halls of
the hospital. And he faintly recalls a birthday party the nurses threw for him.
It was and is the Swedish way to do whatever it takes to make patients feel at home — even if it actually is your home.
Watch 100 stories about Swedish’s 100 years at www.swedish.org/100years
Thousands of babies
have been born at Swedish.
But only one went on to
live there for 31/2 years.

Writing is thinking on  
a screen.

BLANK
SHOULD
BLANK
BLANK
BECAUSE
BLANK.

(AUDIENCE)
SHOULD
(ACTION)
(PRODUCT)
BECAUSE
(BEST POSSIBLE REASON).

(Audience)  
should (action) (product)  
because
(best possible reason).

(Marketers and creative people)  
because

should (take classes) (product)  
because

should (take classes) (at SVC)  
because

should (take classes) (at SVC)  
because
(you’ll learn from top working pros).

(Starbucks cafe customers)  
because

should (buy) (product)  
because

should (buy) (a Verismo system)  
because

should (buy) (a Verismo system)  
because
(it lets you drink Starbucks lattes at home).

(Active outdoor lovers)  
because

should (buy) (product)  
because

should (buy) (Timberland Boots)  
because

should (buy) (Timberland Boots)  
because
(they will keep your feet totally dry).

> LET’S WRITE
A TAKEAWAY
SENTENCE

FOR A PAST PROJECT.
FOR A CURRENT PROJECT.
FOR THE  
MUSEUM OF GLASS.

Museum of Glass Creative Brief
Deliverable: A rack brochure to be displayed in hotel lobbies
and tourist attractions
Objective: Increase visits to the MOG by Seattle visitors by
10% over the next year
Audience: Visitors to Seattle with a cultural or art interests
Competition: Museums in Seattle: SAM, SAAM, Sculpture
Garden, Chihuly Gardens, Frye, Henry, MOHAI and
other attractions that consume time and money
Strategy: Seattle visitors should to the Museum of Glass
because (single compelling reason).

_________ SHOULD _______
FROM ___________ BECAUSE
_______________________.

RECIPROCITYIf you do what I’m asking, I’ll repay
you with something of value.

CONSISTENCYWhat I’m asking you to do is consistent
with what I know you believe.

AUTHORITYExperts and ﬁgures of power agree that
you should do what I’m asking.

CONSENSUSAlmost everyone in the same situation
as you is doing what I’m asking.

SCARCITYYou should do what I’m asking, because
this opportunity will go away.

LIKINGYou like me, don’t you? Well, then
please do what I’m asking.

"MEN WANTED FOR HAZARDOUS JOURNEY.
SMALL WAGES, BITTER COLD, LONG MONTHS
OF COMPLETE DARKNESS, CONSTANT
DANGER, SAFE RETURN DOUBTFUL. HONOR
AND RECOGNITION IN CASE OF SUCCESS."

> LET’S WRITE
A CONTENT
OUTLINE

WATCHA GOT?larry@workerbees.com

www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters

BEWARE OF  
ACTS OF
LITERATURE

IF LOGIC ALONE WORKED,
NO ONE WOULD EVER SMOKE.

CLARITY
SIMPLICITY
BREVITY
HUMANITY

3/4 COPY IS
THE FIRST LINE
OFTHE COPY

3/4 COPY
PARTNERS  
WITHTHE
VISUAL

11. GET WAY
OUTSIDE YOUR
COMFORT
ZONE

Dear Washington State Democrat,
As much as I hate to interfere in the election of another state (other than Florida), I feel that I must write in order to urge you to support Mark
Sidran for Washington State Attorney General.
I have known Mark since I was accidentally admitted to Harvard in the late 1960’s. Mark, who got in on merit and merit alone, was a classmate
of mine, and has made something of himself.
As you may know, he has spent the last 28 years as a prosecutor, Seattle City Attorney, and as a practicing lawyer. Mark’s experience is what I
like to call one of his three E’s. The other two E’s are integrity and energy. Wait. Scrap integrity. Although Mark has it in spades, it does not start
with an “E.” I remember learning that at Harvard. But I digress. Let’s get back to his experience.
As City Attorney, Mark took on some of the most egregious corporate polluters in Puget Sound. I could name names, but I may be planning to
run for public office in Minnesota someday, and why burn a bridge?
As Attorney General, Mark will continue his fight on behalf of citizens by doubling the size of the state’s consumer protection division. Tired of
finding out your senior citizen mother has been ripped off by scam artists? Besides telling your mom to be more alert, you can take action by
electing Mark.
Oh, now I remember the other two “e’s”. Endorsements and Electability. Besides me, Mark has been endorsed by every single Democratic
county prosecutor in the state. These are people, who unlike me, actually know what the Attorney General does. Bill Gates Sr., former
president of the Washington State Bar and father of someone who I’d like to get to know better when I get ready to run for office, has endorsed
Mark as well. So have civil rights leaders like Norm and Constance Rice. Others include environmentalists, led by Washington Conservation
Voters, the State’s largest environmental political group, and a long list of elected officials such as Governor Gary Locke, Congressman Norm
Dicks, former Governor Booth Gardner, many civic leaders and leading lawyers. Governor Locke, I have learned, is the only Asian American
state governor to make an endorsement in this race. That alone says it all.

I could go on and on with the endorsements. But frankly, no one cares about endorsements. Let’s move on to what really matters to Democrats
– electability. Republicans don’t want Mark to be the Democratic nominee because they know he will be the most difficult candidate to beat in a
statewide race that isn’t fixed by the use of paperless machines. This is the first time in 12 years that the Attorney General’s seat has been
open and the Republican Party and their special interests are salivating at the chance of putting one of their lackeys in one of the most
powerful jobs in your state. Mark is a common sense Democrat with a proven track record and the clear ability to win in November or whenever
the Department of Homeland Security allows us to vote.
George W. Bush does not want Mark Sidran to be your next Attorney General. Neither does Deborah Senn, who did not go to college with me.
In conclusion, give your vote, and if possible, your check to Mark Sidran. And if you really want to see more of those endorsements, check out
the partial list below or visit Mark’s website, www.MarkSidran4AG.com. As you can tell from the “4,” this is one hip campaign.
Sincerely,
Al Franken

Think we could convince you to drive to Tacoma?
Some people cross an ocean
to see a world-famous art museum.

TWEET YOUR
WAY TO
BETTER
WRITING

@stephenking
@copyhackers
@MadamGrammar
@writing_tips
@GrammarGirl
@problogger
@leeclowsbeard

“If you are
always trying to
be normal, you
will never know
how amazing
you can be.”

larry@workerbees.com
tinyurl.com/svc-copy-workshop

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