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It’s a visual post for you today namely because I’ve been holed up sick for the last couple of weeks and had to be a bed a lot reading magazines doing research.
So first up is an advert from the cosmetics industry. Normally I have a bit of a problem with their advertising having believed as a teen that the contents of a bottle could make me look like a model.
But I really liked this headline for its simplicity and how it targets 2 specific concerns of the customer (unlike many cosmetic headlines which are shrouded in mystery and wispy scents of “be free…” “be who you want to be…” you get the picture).
So here it is: 
Now, let’s not be cynical and change this to a headline like “I want the perfect finish without photoshop…” etc. Instead think about how simply this sells the benefits:
“I want [goal] without [objection]”
What headlines would you come up with to get your customer’s attention?
I want faster broadband without a long term contract
I want a better body without the embarrassment of going to a gym
You get the picture – now go, experiment and win over your customers.
Rotten grapes – do you really want to know how it’s made?
The other advert I spotted recently was for a fine wine and spirit merchants. It was a full page ad in a professional magazine so I’m guessing they have a pretty swish product for a discerning crowd.
“How do we win them over? How do we let them know about the superior quality of our product”
The answer was this:
A picture of some mouldy grapes with the further commentary that:
They actually need to rot for another five or six days to produce the sweetness necessary…
No, I’m sorry, you lost me at the word ‘rot’ and I couldn’t shake the idea of it by the time you got to sweetness.
I know it seems very clever to demonstrate knowledge of how the product is made, and this can be effective in copywriting as Claude Hopkins showed us.
However, it only really works if the process is a nice one and isn’t about putting rotting food into wine. I know, I’m probably a neanderthal because I like a good Pinot (and sometimes pronounce it PEE-NOT just to jostle with the bar staff) and have never tried a Sauternes but I really feel for this company.
- They can afford a full page advert
- They have great credibility
- They supply the Queen and Prince Charles
So why is the best advert they can come up with contains rank fruit you wouldn’t eat?
It makes me think of this scene in the Bucket List where the cranky, snobbish Jack Nicholson finally discovers how his incredibly expensive coffee is made:
What do you think? Clever play or too clever to work?
I agree with your assessment of the first cosmetic ad, But I think the wine ad was fresh and on the mark for anyone who lives in wine country or has taken a stab at making their own wine or beer. This is common here in Northern California, Australia, France and many other places. The same practice is used for pomegranates and apples. So if they are confident in their present customer base it might be wise to try to make converts from serious cone-sours. As usual I loved this post. And the wine ad.
Thanks for your thoughts Donald and for a different perspective. I suppose if they’re trying to reach a select audience who have that knowledge, then it could build rapport, but then if it is for an audience familiar with the process, they’re telling them something they already know. I’d love to know the thinking behind the creative and who they were trying to target – wine makers or just those that drink wine.
We helped out at a winery and saw EXACTLY how wine is made — and it ain’t pretty! You definitely would not want to go into detail in an advertisement.
I am in complete agreement that using the word ‘rot’ is a huge faux pas — unless said magazine if for “the smartest people in the room.” There’s a reason that wine labels show beautiful bunches of firm, round luscious looking grapes instead of raisins with mold on them!
The word rot stopped me in my tracks. It could have been ‘matured’ but rot just goes straight for the stomach and not in a good way.
I once went to a cider festival and saw all the wheelbarrows of pulped apple carted around. Put me off for life!