In a Nutshell Something as unexpected as a talking almond could be just what you need to catch the reader's eye.
By Jerry Fisher
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Is it too fanciful to have products "talk" in printadvertising? Will prospects take it seriously when you showdialogue balloons coming from component parts or, in the case shownhere, from food pieces? The answers are, it is neither too fancifulnor taken less seriously. Giving human qualities to inanimateobjects-otherwise known as anthropomorphism-offersfresh relief from ordinary advertising. And it opens up lots ofinteresting promotional possibilities that might not otherwise getattention.
In the ad shown here, produced for the Almond Board ofCalifornia, an industry trade group, a couple of nuts speak outabout their nutritional benefits. The first thing that grabs you isthe visual: little white copy balloons popping out of the brownbackground of nuts. You can't help but notice them asyou're flipping through the periodical. That's a hugehurdle to overcome, because up to 70 percent of ads are notvisually arresting enough to stop the reader.
The second grabber is what the nuts are saying. One says,"Eating a handful of us a day can help lowercholesterol." The other adds, "Sounds nutty, but it'strue." Well, no, it doesn't sound nutty, but we'llpermit the copywriter a pun. The next thing you may notice is thebig headline above: "Here's some good news about almondsyou can really take to heart." This is a solid headlinebecause it piques your curiosity, even though you probably read thecopy balloons first. The paragraph copy at the bottom of the adalmost doesn't matter because all you really need to know is inthe headline and balloons.
What makes this approach so worthy of considerationfor your own advertising is that it's versatile enough to workfor practically any product or service. Last month, I wrote about avacuum cleaner promotion. Guess what? Vacuum cleaners can speak forthemselves. As can silicon chips, C-size batteries or two peas in apod. A couple of bicuspids can speak to the quality of the dentistwho capped them. Or how about a comparison ad in which your widgetexplains why it's better than the competitor's versionright next to it? And let's not forget service businesses. Whatabout one air-conditioning service van speaking to another, to wit:"We offer 24/7 emergency service at no extra charge; how aboutyou?" Says the other: "No comment."
The possibilities are endless, and there can be many creativeapproaches. But the best part about this technique is that it'sattention-getting and makes your big sales points quick as a wink.So, safe to say, it's not a nutty idea at all.
Jerry Fisher (www.jerry-fisher.com) is a freelance advertisingcopywriter and author of Creating Successful Small BusinessAdvertising.
