All the copywriting skills were learned in junior high school!

The articles I write are more about copywriting concepts rather than writing techniques.

Because in my opinion, all the copywriting skills have been taught to you by your junior high school Chinese teacher.

The basis of advertising is to convey information. No matter whether your advertisement is interest-advocacy-oriented, conceptual-oriented, emotional-oriented, inspirational-oriented, philosophical-oriented...it is actually conveying information to consumers.
A good copywriting can make the transmission of information more dramatic. Modify information and use a variety of language means to achieve the best possible expression effect.

This kind of language effect is called rhetoric.

1. Metaphor

A metaphor is a comparison that uses concrete, simple, familiar, and vivid things to explain or describe abstract, profound, unfamiliar, and vague things.
Metaphor has two functions: to describe things more concretely and vividly; to make profound truths simpler and easier to understand.
A metaphor consists of a subject and an object. It connects two essentially different things and finds similarities between them, thus creating drama.

DTC diamond copywriting.
Subject: diamond, metaphor: earplugs, similarities: both can stop the wife’s complaints.

Cadillac copywriter: Male degeneration is the tragedy of this era, but fortunately there is Cadillac.
Comparing Cadillac to a male species makes Cadillac's image more specific and vivid, with clear edges and corners, tough temperament, and full of hormones.

There is a monster in the world that specializes in breaking up parent-child relationships, and it’s called “growing up.”
Comparing growing up to a monster makes this sentence thought-provoking. To put it bluntly - growing up always causes parents and children to become estranged.
That would be meaningless.

BMW used cars :
You know you're not her first, but do you really mind?
The reason why we should not care about second-hand products is made very easy to understand, but this advertisement also caused great controversy.

The 2012 Cannes Advertising Festival Gold Award, P& G 's London Olympics advertisement, the super touching "Thank You, Mom"
The final sentence of the advertisement is:
Mom, the most tiring job in the world is also the best job.
If you view being a mother as a profession, you will find that this job is the hardest, but also the happiest.

Jinliufu’s “Going home is the best gift for your family”.
China Motors: "The most important car in the world is Dad's shoulders."
The same is true.

2. Comparison

Simile is similar to metaphor, it is writing about objects as if they were people, and people as if they were objects.
The most important of these is personification, which is to use words that describe people to describe objects, and to give objects human behaviors, emotions, and thoughts. It can make the language vivid, arouse rich associations in readers, give things personalized characteristics, and clearly express the author's feelings and position.

When we talk about brand building, a very important part is brand personalization. We should build the brand as a person and give it image, emotion, personality and values.

Take a look at the work of copywriting master Neil French:

Gentlemen always want their intimate partners to be tall, slim, have a rosy complexion, and wear beautiful clothes.
Ideally, a little spicy.
But until now, only the wealthy can afford to support six at a time.
Gentlemen always want their intimate partners to be tall, slim and have a honey-like complexion.

Ideally, lie down and wait.
Well, this is about cigars.

Another copywriting master, George Lois , created a series of graphic copy for Wolf Schmidts Vodka.

The first week's ad showed an upright bottle of vodka facing a sweet red tomato and saying:
"Hey, you juicy red tomato, the two of us can make a Bloody Mary. I'm different from the others!"

Tomato Red Beauty says:
"I like you, Wolfschmidt. You do have taste."

The second week's ad showed a bottle of vodka facing a ripe orange and saying:
"I am a person of great taste. I want to discover your inner beauty and make you famous. Come over here and kiss me."

Orange replied:
"And who is that bitch I saw you with last week?"

Over the next few weeks, lemons, onions, olives and other beauties used in bartending took turns to appear, all of whom made sexually suggestive puns with wolf schmidts.

George Lewis used only a sentence or two to vividly describe the playboy Wolf Schmidts, the passionate red tomato, and the jealous orange. He endowed the inanimate products with emotions, making Wolf Schmidts quickly become a tasteful, light-hearted, and cynical vodka brand, and the product became a huge success.

The seven most classic advertising copywritings of Merrill Lynch Champagne Town:

When I thought about going home, the car to the town became proud.

Speaking of Wenyu River, Townhouse can't help but feel jealous!

As soon as the sun came out, the greedy sunlight slipped into the kitchen from the courtyard.

Personification, like metaphor, is about relating essentially different things together to create new associations and feelings.
Consider what James Webb Young said: “The essence of creativity is new combinations of old elements.”
That's right.

3. Contrast/Parallelism

Use a pair of phrases or sentences with the same structure and similar number of words to express relatively opposite or similar meanings, especially the linguistic effect of comparing two things or concepts.
This type of copy pursues parallelism in form and seeks contrast in meaning, making the sentences read like some kind of philosophy, giving people a thought-provoking and profound feeling. Therefore, it is often seen in brands such as automobiles, real estate, and famous wines that need to demonstrate taste, connotation, and style.

This is one of the most commonly used techniques and routines in copywriting, but if used too much, it will appear artificial.

There are countless cases——

Don't rush, feel the road ( Volvo )

Without making any noise, it has its own sound (Buick LaCrosse)

It’s not about the road, it’s about the destination (BMW X5)

Sometimes you go forward boldly, sometimes you let go and go far (BMW 5 Series Touring Sedan)

Power conquers all, you conquer power ( Audi )

Classify everything, you classify (Audi)

Classics inherit time, classics subvert time (Mercedes-Benz)

The greater your realm, the smaller your self-esteem (BMW)

Only by giving up the hustle and bustle can we achieve sublimation (BMW)

Let go of status and just talk about taste (Shuijingfang)

Stay away from applause and listen to your heart (Shuijingfang)

No wealth, only home (Shanwaishan Real Estate)

Without a certain height, it is not suitable to be so low-key (Vanco Rancho Santa Fe)

If you are used to walking on red carpets, you will dream of stone roads (Vanke Rancho Santa Fe)

Only by understanding the past can we create the future (Remy Martin)

Only with a taste for life can you enjoy life (Hennessy VSOP)

I don't care how long it lasts, I only care that I once had it (Titus)

The less complicated, the more extraordinary ( Samsung )

Sophisticated in mind, simple in form (Philips)

Inner strength, outer beauty (Xiangyi Herbal Medicine)

Uni-President 711's city café once filmed a TV commercial featuring Gui Lunmei.
Late at night, Gui Lunmei rushed into a small telephone booth in the rain to take shelter. Then there was already a boy in the phone booth. In order to make room for Gui Lunmei, the boy rushed into the heavy rain and left.

The copy says, "On rainy days, there is still a corner of this city that is sunny."
The rainy day outside and the sunny day inside are a clever contrast, which makes the two sides very interesting.

Contrast can also be used to showcase the selling points and features of a product, making the selling points more prominent.

For example, the Great Wall Red Wine’s “3 mm journey takes 10 years for a good grape.”
There is only a 3 mm distance from the outside of the bottle to the inside of the bottle, but it takes 10 years for a good grape to become fine wine.

Another example is OPPO’s “5 minutes of charging, 2 hours of talk time”, which forms a sharp contrast between 5 minutes and 2 hours.
Another example is Head & Shoulders’ classic copywriting: “No trace of dandruff, and more outstanding hair.”

Making good use of contrast is a basic writing skill.

4. Reduplication

Repeating or alternating the same word, phrase or sentence, with one or two identical words in the first and second halves of a sentence, can strengthen the rhythm and syllables of the sentence and make it more interesting to read.
This technique is very similar to the contrast/parallelism above. It is also an overused copywriting technique, but there are also many excellent works.

First look at the PX Welfare Center——

If you know how to spend, you can live like a flower.
In fact, what is the relationship between the "hua" in spending money and the "hua" in a flower, but when combined together, it's... quite interesting.

We decided to pick up this bag for the sake of the next generation.
"代" and "袋" use homophones, creating rhythmic repetition and a sense of rhythm.

Even if you can't become a famous model, you should still live a decent life.
What does a supermodel have to do with being stylish? It's just for the sake of reduplication.

No matter whether the bag is big or small, a good bag is one that can help me save money.
Being beautiful is a capital, but spending money beautifully is a skill.

No need to say more.

Let’s look at the Mercedes-Benz female copywriting that went viral not long ago:

If buying a bag can’t solve the problem, try a backpack.
Buying bags and backpacks, the former is for the exquisite CBD and shopping malls, while the latter is for the free and easy outdoors. The contrast in meaning and repetition in form make the copy read very philosophical.

Actually, if you think about it carefully, it's just a sentence pattern.

The following copywriting is both repetition and contrast——

The more you appreciate, the more you understand appreciation (Hennessy)

The more twists and turns, the greater the scenery (Volkswagen Magotan)

Lexus

Never be content, so there is nothing lacking (BMW X5)

Understand what you say, understand what you don’t say (Buick Excelle)

Just because no one is on the street doesn’t necessarily mean no one is shopping ( Taobao Mall)

5. Parallelism

Use several phrases or sentences together that are related in content, have the same structure, and consistent tone, usually three or more sentences.
Parallelism can significantly enhance momentum and intensify feeling. It is also the most commonly used technique in speeches and can make them very inflammatory.

Just like Martin Luther King’s classic speech “I Have a Dream”, repeatedly shouting “I have a dream”.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day……
I have a dream that one day……

After a series of parallelisms, all the audience fell into frenzy.

After Obama won the 2008 presidential election, he gave a speech in Chicago:

When there was despair in the Dust Bowl and de pr ession across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes, we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes, we can.

... Yes, we can.
... Yes, we can.

At the end of each speech, he would add his campaign slogan: Yes, we can.
At the end of the speech, the entire audience shouted along with Obama: Yes, we can. The atmosphere reached its climax.

Talking about copywriting from speeches, parallelism can also enhance the momentum of the copywriting, making it look high-end, elegant and classy.

First up is Shuijingfang’s “Golden Lion” TV commercial copy:

Create a history with a long history;
Develop a local civilization and shine in the world;
Start a life and achieve nobleness.
Shuijingfang, the element of China's noble life.

In fact, the copy is very empty, but after reading the whole thing, it feels very classy and high-end.

In 2006, we served Gaolujia Liquor, which invited Chen Daoming to be its spokesperson and to shoot a TV commercial.
Our copywriter separated Chen Daoming's name into two parts and wrote a parallel copy:

It has been passed down for many years, it is Chen.
To temper oneself with all one's heart is the way.
Being frank and honest is the key to enlightenment.
Gaolu’s wine is aged naturally, authentically made and naturally clear.

Audi A6L "Witness Your Road"——

Others see your today, we see your yesterday.
Others see your achievements, we see your struggles.
Others see your efforts, and we see your gains.
Others see your glory, we see your persistence.
Witness your path.

Another TV commercial for Audi A6L——

How to control? open.
Why sublimate? precipitation.
How to reward life? Start the journey again.
New Audi A6L

Buick Excelle 's TV and print ads copy -

"When you say you want to look good, you actually mean you want to be their pride."
"You keep talking about safety because everything important is in the car."
"You emphasize motivation. Actually, you want to beat the time."
"You think quietness is important, but it's actually because you want to have some personal time occasionally."
"You said you wanted more space. Actually, you like your family to be together."
"When you say you need more storage, you actually need to put aside everyone's hobbies."
We understand you.
Understand what you said and what you didn’t say.
The all-new Excelle resonates with those who are striving for success.

6. Ejector

Use the end of the previous text as the beginning of the following text, connecting the beginning and the end to make the adjacent sentences continue.
There are many traditional idioms and proverbs that have a topknot structure, such as "Tell everything you know without reservation", "Tell one person about ten, and ten about a hundred", and "Again and again". The topknot design makes the sentence structure neat, the tone coherent, and easy to read.
More suitable for advertising slogans.

Toyota Motors - Where there is a mountain, there must be a road, and where there is a road, there must be a Toyota car.
Melatonin - I won’t accept any gifts this year, and if I do, I’ll accept Melatonin.
Drink more water - It’s okay to drink more water, just drink more water.
Go - it doesn’t matter where you go, what matters is that you go.

7. Puns

Make the sentence have a double meaning, with the words being one thing but the idea being another . Puns can make language expressions subtle and humorous, deepen the meaning, and leave a deep impression on people.
From the perspective of copywriting, there are three ways to make puns:

One is to take advantage of the polysemy or homonymy of words.
For example, the slogan of Nanshan Life Insurance is: "Good insurance, with Nanshan". The "risk" here refers to both thrills and insurance.
For example, Taiwan’s Ma Ying-jeou’s campaign copy: “It will be done soon.” The "immediately" here means immediately, and also means that Ma Ying-jeou should take office.
Such as Rifeng pipe: "useful for fifty years". The "管" here means both guarantee and assurance, and also means the noun pipeline.

The second is to cleverly embed the brand name, which itself has meaning.
For example, Ping An Insurance’s slogan “Buying insurance means buying peace”, Ping An is both the literal meaning and the brand name.
For example, Tianda Pharmaceutical: "Your health is of paramount importance." It means that your health is of vital importance, and it also means that you entrust your health to Tianda Pharmaceutical.
Such as Dayi Pu'er tea's "Tea is good, tea has great benefits", Foton Motor's public service advertisement "The earth is a blessed land", Jiangsu Changshu Tourism Bureau's "Come to Changshu Often", Taiwan Uni-President Ramen Balls' "Be careful".

The third type is that the copy seems to be talking about a specific thing, but in fact it is talking about a philosophy of life.

VASTO Men's Father's Day ad features a little girl wearing adult shoes at home, and the copy says:
"I just realized that every step Dad takes is not easy."
It refers to the specific matter of a little girl wearing her father's shoes, but it is also abstract enough to talk about the father's life, so that fathers all over the world can resonate with it.
New Balance’s slogan “Keep running and the day will dawn on its own” refers to both morning jogging and life.

Good copywriting is about making good use of language, and making the language more effective is about using rhetoric.
This is knowledge that everyone has learned in junior high school.
You don't need to listen to other people's random top ten copywriting skills or seven copywriting secrets. You just need to review junior high school Chinese, and the top copywriting skills will be in your bag.

Author: Kongshou, authorized to publish by Qinggua Media .

Source: Empty Hands (ID: firesteal13)