How to Write Better Copy by Being Indirect
If you tell one of your loved ones, “you feel like “home” to me.”
I’m pretty sure you’re not picturing them as a human that has cement and bricks layed on top of them.
Hopefully…
Because home is not just a place or a brick & mortar setup.
It also means love, support, and a place or a person that feels familiar.
This means you get that words can sometimes have non-literal meanings too.
It’s called connotations and you can use it to heighten the emotion and personality in your copy.
The Oxford Dictionary has 600,000 words right now.
But if you start using words, sentences and phrases with connotations…
You have much more literary real estate to play with.
Ad 1
Alcohol or drinking has connotations related to good times, happy moments and starting conversations.
So this means an empty bottle of Chivas is not as bad as you think.
Your bottle’s empty but your heart’s full.
And you cannot put a price on that experience.
In this ad, the connotation is the insight.
Ad 2
At first glance it feels like this is an ad for something related to sex.
And it grabs attention.
Why? Because these 2 sentences have popular connotations related to sex.
But it’s actually about getting a job.
Now that’s a sexy ad.
Ad 3
Headline grabs attention because it invites room for contrast.
But actually it plays on connotation.
Do their business elsewhere: not a client anymore (literal meaning)
Do their business elsewhere: taking a shit (connotation)
Simple but so impactful.
We stress so much about getting to the point.
But often forget that people know how to read between the lines.
Writing simply is great but you don’t have to dumb down everything.
The best work is always simple, clear and relatable.
Connotation is the best way to do that.
