This document summarizes a lecture on creativity and copywriting. The lecture covered creative thinking techniques, reviewing print advertisements to recognize good and bad examples, exploring effective headlines, and how visual and verbal elements should work together in ads. It provided tactics for idea generation such as freewriting, rewriting strategy statements from different points of view, and benefit exploration. The lecture emphasized the importance of interesting headlines that catch attention in one second and concluded with reminders to aim for interesting ads and to write and rewrite.

1. Creativity and Copywriting
Lecture 6

2. LECTURE
BREAKDOWN
Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
Creative
Thinking
Ad
Review
Commercial
Break
Lecture
(Part 2)
Lecture
(Part 1)
Wrap-Up

3. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
LECTURE
BREAKDOWN
Commercial
Break
Lecture
(Part 2) Wrap-Up
Ad
Review
Lecture
(Part 1)
Creative
Thinking

4. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
You cannot use the physical nature of the words.2
List A: Ladder. Lighter. Lighthouse. Nursery List B: Empire. Crown. Cider. Chapel.3
“Pairing”
On some basis pair a word from list A with a word from list B. Define the basis.1
You have 5 minutes to write down your thoughts.4
Creative Thinking

5. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
LECTURE
BREAKDOWN
Creative
Thinking
Commercial
Break
Lecture
(Part 2)
Lecture
(Part 1)
Wrap-Up
Ad
Review

6. Ad Review

7. Ad Review

8. SOME IS NOT.
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The world’s #1 ultra-premium tequila.
Ad Review

9. Ad Review

10. 2 BUTTON. 3 BUTTON
SOME PERFECTION IS DEBATABLE.
Ad Review

11. SOME IS NOT.
Made by hand from 100% blue agave.
The world’s #1 ultra-premium tequila.
Ad Review

12. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
LECTURE
BREAKDOWN
Creative
Thinking
Ad
Review
Commercial
Break
Lecture
(Part 2) Wrap-Up
Lecture
(Part 1)

13. Lecture 6: Written Word
Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6

14. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6 Flickr user Tom Mrazek
“Print is to all advertising what figure
drawing is to fine art; it provides a
creative foundation.
Pete Barry
“

15. Show
Print Ads = Press or Posters
Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
FYI

16. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
Eyebrows – Lines of text that target a particular audience that
appears before the headline
Headlines – Delivers the main message of the ad
Subheads – Strengthens the headline and reinforces the stated benefit
Body Copy – The explanation of the benefits or features
CTA –What you want the reader to do
Slogan/Tagline – The sticky, verbal logo
“Sig” – mandatory information including numbers, websites, address
outside the body copy
FYI

17. Show
Have a reductionist mindset. For each element
of the ad, stop and ask yourself, “Will it still
work without it?”.
Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
FYI

18. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
Bad print ads
Visual and verbal
Exploring headlines
Agenda

19. | page 16
Visual gymnastics
The visual
should be part of
the message

20. Bad Print Ads
Offensive
Relevant &
tasteful

21. Say too much Singular focus
Bad Print Ads

22. Bad Print Ads
Redundant Complementary

23. Bad Print Ads
Condescending
Celebratory

24. Bad Print Ads
General
Specific

25. Bad Print Ads
Dull Interesting

26. Bad Print Ads
Tired, old visual Original visual

27. Bad Print Ads
Bad pun Better pun

28. Bad Print Ads
Cluttered MVM

29. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6 Flickr user Tom Mrazek
1. Pun-ish your audience with puns. Everyone loves a good pun. So
include as many as you can, because they’ll think it’s punny.
2. Include as many calls to actions as you can.
3. Dont proofread you’re headline. After All, its not what you say butt
how your saying it.
4. Add many exclamation points!!!!!!!!!
5. With that in mind, WRITE IN ALL CAPS. BECAUSE WHEN YOU’RE
SHOUTING ON PAPER, YOUR AUDIENCE WILL WANT TO
LISTEN!!!!!!!
6. While we’re at it why not take away all punctuation because things
like commas periods quotation marks and more just get in the way
of your ad
Intermark Group
“
On Bad Headlines…

30. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 3
Recognize bad ads, and
you’ll write better ones.

31. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
Bad print ads
Visual and verbal
Exploring headlines
Agenda

32. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6 Flickr user Tom Mrazek
If you think about it, most visual
thoughts are verbal in origin. An idea
has to be formulated into words.
Whether it actually needs any words
in its expression is another matter.
Mike Boles
“

33. Visual and Verbal

34. Visual and Verbal
Be Complementary

35. Visual and Verbal
Be Single-Minded

36. Visual and Verbal
Excite Participation

37. Powerful/unusual visual + straight/understated headline = GOOD AD
Straight/understated visual + powerful/unusual headline = GOOD AD
Powerful/unusual visual + powerful/unusual headline = GOOD or BAD
Straight/understated visual + straight/understated headline = BAD
Visual and Verbal

38. Show Say
You can get to a solution from either side.
Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6

39. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
1. Demonstration
2. Unwrapped
3. Close-up
4. Personal
5. Split screen
6. Mod
7. Remove
8. Show nothing
1. Command
2. Question
3. Twist a cliche
4. Go blind
5. Tell a joke
6. Write a story
7. Surprise
8. Outline
Visual & Verbal
1. Benefit
2. Comparison
3. Endorsement
4. Metaphor
5. Personification
6. Hyperbole
7. Opposition
8. Pun
Exploration TacticsVisual and Verbal

40. Visual and Verbal
Deckofbrilliance.com

41. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
LECTURE
BREAKDOWN
Creative
Thinking
Ad
Review
Lecture
(Part 2)
Lecture
(Part 1)
Commercial
Break
Wrap-Up

57. Creative
Thinking
Ad
Review
Commercial
Break
Lecture
(part 2)
Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
Lecture
(Part 1)
Wrap-Up
Lecture
(Part 2)
LECTURE
BREAKDOWN

58. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
Bad print ads
Exploring headlines
Visual and verbal
Agenda

59. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
You have ONE second to
catch attention.
Via DesignInspiration.com
Exploring Headlines

60. And when you
do, it’s probably
because your
headline was
credible,
authentic,
relevant,
emotional
and/or personal.
Exploring Headlines

61. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
Flickr user Tom Mrazek
The best headlines are based on an
idea rather than just moving words
around until they sound cool.
Drummond Berman, CD EURORSCG
“

62. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
Flickr user abbotsford5
Rewrite the strategy statement
Freewriting
Truths
Different POVs
Benefit exploration
Exploring Headlines

63. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
1. Demonstration
2. Unwrapped
3. Close-up
4. Personal
5. Split screen
6. Mod
7. Remove
8. Show nothing
1. Command
2. Question
3. Twist a cliché
4. Go blind
5. Tell a joke
6. Write a story
7. Surprise
8. Outline
1. Benefit
2. Comparison
3. Endorsement
4. Metaphor
5. Personification
6. Hyperbole
7. Opposition
8. Pun
Verbal
Exploring Headlines
Visual

64. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
LECTURE
BREAKDOWN
Creative
Thinking
Ad
Review
Commercial
Break
Lecture
(Part 2)
Lecture
(Part 1)
Wrap-Up

65. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
Aim for Interesting
Wrap Up

66. Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6
Write and Rewrite
Wrap Up

67. Peace out
Lynn CS4029 Lecture 6