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In the world of advertising the old adage that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ has never been truer. Seemingly the use of imagery in advertising is now more important than ever in conveying messages about brand or product identity. Despite the death 80 years ago this October of ‘silent film’, the use of iconic imagery and semiotics over the clever use of words is very much alive and at the forefront of many successful campaigns. However, this has occurred at the expense of copy, on direct mail in particular and in marketing in general, does not reflect or enhance the essence of the brand it is trying to promote.

While there is no disputing that as everyone becomes more time-poor and increasingly bombarded with commercial messages – on average, allegedly, some 4,000 a day – the need to develop visually appealing communications that cut through the noise is now seen as paramount. However, the requirement to support the ad and close the sale with meaningful dialogue should be taken equally seriously. But too often it is not.

There was once a time, 20 years ago, when advertisers packaged there marketing messages within cleverly crafted lyrics and melodies (jingles) written specifically for ad campaigns. That time is now gone and there is a general feeling now that, even in press, advertising has become so ‘visually’ sophisticated that copy is regarded as almost too corny, or even dismissed as having no place, as no one bothers to read it.

Recently someone fed me the simplest explanation as to why the copywriter is a dying breed. He said that all budding art directors have to go through art or design school to learn the craft, learning to use photography, typography, illustration, graphic design and so on – and that their training was much more regimented and structured – whereas writers just write and do not have to go through this process, so they become singularly skilled and not multidisciplined.

But surely a writers ‘training’ does not necessarily have to come through a college course in copywriting or advertising: it can come from a variety of sources. Look at UK DM star agency Tullo Marshal Warren – it actively recruits outside the sector and colleges for writers, drawing in people from the legal profession and the like. Often a more general university degree, say English, history or philosophy, provides better training for a career in copywriting, not least because graduates like these are able to write, spell, use paragraphs, punctuation and so on.

Could it be that the demise in the craft of copywriting can be, in part, attributed to the attitude of some colleges, which encourage ‘conceptual creation’ over the specific disciplines of art and copy creation? While these two subject are not mutually exclusive, educationally at least, they seem to have been inextricably spun together. One now meets creative teams, fresh out of three years of college, that haven’t yet decided who the writer is and who the art director.

Frankly, the last thing I want to do is have to pick up writers on spelling and grammar. The only training one should have to give is in how to persuade the reader, present a compelling case for purchase, and close the sale. Budding copywriters have to show a love of words and language, not just an enthusiasm for creating ‘nice-looking work’. And you cannot train people in that.

On the upside, most graduates are now taught to take the big brand idea and deliver it across a range of media. On the downside, however, it seems that too few are taught the intricacies of each discipline, especially how to compliment the visuals through persuasive copy and a brand tone of voice.

Obviously it is not all the colleges fault. The lack of importance that many brands and agencies attribute to copy is readily demonstrated by the virtual absence of copy direction in brand guidelines. While great tomes of dictates are published on the size of fonts, position of logos, preferred colourways and size of margins, there is total absence of reference to the kind of personality that might give the reader a reason to respond.

This must change if direct marketing is to remain at the forefront of brand development.

Neil Francis, Creative Partner
Stephens Francis Whitson.