10
Writing Advertising Copy
Advertising is information mixed with persuasion. The best advertising presents information to
readers or viewers in a form that will persuade them to act, to change their opinions, or to
maintain the opinions they already have. The link between advertising and news is information,
and students should understand that point as they begin working in this chapter.
Another point that students should understand
is that some people (manufacturers,
organizations, etc.) will pay other people
(advertising copywriters) to write advertising.
The first group wants to see a return on its
investment. They expect advertising to work —
to do what they expect it to do, whether that’s to
sell more of a product, enhance the reputation of
a company, increase the name recognition of an organization, etc. If the advertising does not
discussions. For instance, if a student says, “I didn’t like that ad,” try to explore that reaction:
why did the ad not appeal to her? To whom did it appeal? What appeals are being made? What
benefits are being offered?
Key terms and concepts
The following are some terms and concepts that students should understand as they study and
work with the material in this chapter.
Demographics — Students should understand that most advertising is not directed at large
masses of consumers but is rather “targeted” toward a group who share similar demographic
characteristics. Demographics are the way that we define these groups.
Product benefits — A benefit is something that will in some way enrich the consumer. Focusing
on benefits is a very important part of the formulation of advertising.
Links and resources
Advertising writing—tell your business story. The site offers seven rules for writing advertising
Chapter notes
American Advertising Federation. One of the major professional organizations for the field of
advertising is the American Advertising Federation. Students who are interested in this field
Question bank
1. What is the concept of repositioning in advertising?
2. When thinking about writing advertising for a product, the copywriter should consider
3. Advertising campaigns are often developed
4. An ad’s quality is ultimately measured by what?
5. According to the advertising chapter, what are the most basic human needs?
6. An advertisement should always present an objective description of the product being sold.
7. In writing advertising copy for a product, keep in mind
8. A logo is:
9. Which of the following is not a common demographic factor:
10. What is the chief purpose of writing for advertising?
11. In the world of advertising, what are appeals?
12. Which one would not be considered a demographic characteristic?
13. Which type of advertising refers to the packaging and display of a product?
14. The signature, or sponsor identification, in a print ad should:
15. What does body copy do in an advertisement?
15. Types of broadcast formats for commercials include:
16. Which statement best describes the product’s benefit?
17. The paper form that is often used by television advertising when creating ads is:
18. What is the slogan?
19. The sheet that contains information about a product, its audience, an advertising approach
and other information about an advertising situation is called an.
20. Which of the following is the first duty of an ad for any product:
21. By demographic characteristics, we mean
22. Which of the following would make the most effective advertisement, based upon the
principles we talked about in class?
23. Animated figures, imaginary settings, and whimsical music are used in a dramatic
presentation are called
24. The ultimate test of whether an advertisement is effective is
25. Good advertisements should emphasize
26. A certain amount of inaccuracy in advertising is permissible if the ad is entertaining, represents solid
creative effort, and sells the product effectively.