Comments on: The pros and cons of scary copywriting http://www.abccopywriting.com/blog/2009/10/29/scary-copywriting/ Advice and reflections from a freelance copywriter Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:12:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jennifer Colston http://www.abccopywriting.com/blog/2009/10/29/scary-copywriting/comment-page-1/#comment-398 Jennifer Colston Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:04:01 +0000 http://www.abccopywriting.com/blog/?p=193#comment-398 I just signed up to your rss feed! Will you post more on the theme? I just signed up to your rss feed! Will you post more on the theme?

]]> By: uberVU - social comments http://www.abccopywriting.com/blog/2009/10/29/scary-copywriting/comment-page-1/#comment-129 uberVU - social comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:43:05 +0000 http://www.abccopywriting.com/blog/?p=193#comment-129 <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Twitter by shelovestowrite: RT ABC_Copywriting RT @tweetmeme The pros and cons of scary copywriting http://retwt.me/1G8oj... Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by shelovestowrite: RT ABC_Copywriting RT @tweetmeme The pros and cons of scary copywriting http://retwt.me/1G8oj...

]]> By: Jill Tomlinson http://www.abccopywriting.com/blog/2009/10/29/scary-copywriting/comment-page-1/#comment-126 Jill Tomlinson Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:45:17 +0000 http://www.abccopywriting.com/blog/?p=193#comment-126 Thanks for such an interesting blog. I think positivity wins just about every time. Drayton Bird cites the example from a book about advertising by Max Sackheim who co-founded one of the first direct marketing agencies. Sackheim wrote 2 ads in the 1890s selling washing ‘machines’ to women. The smiling face and the line ‘Let this machine do our washing free’ trounced the alternative with the sour face and the “Are you chained to the wash tub?” headline. Ancient ads and woefully unsophisticated to our eyes but, as John Caples said, again many decades ago, “times change, people don’t”. The ad world has changed beyond recognition of course but the same principles about human psychology apply. Thanks for such an interesting blog. I think positivity wins just about every time. Drayton Bird cites the example from a book about advertising by Max Sackheim who co-founded one of the first direct marketing agencies. Sackheim wrote 2 ads in the 1890s selling washing ‘machines’ to women. The smiling face and the line ‘Let this machine do our washing free’ trounced the alternative with the sour face and the “Are you chained to the wash tub?” headline. Ancient ads and woefully unsophisticated to our eyes but, as John Caples said, again many decades ago, “times change, people don’t”. The ad world has changed beyond recognition of course but the same principles about human psychology apply.

]]> By: Tweets that mention The pros and cons of scary copywriting -- Topsy.com http://www.abccopywriting.com/blog/2009/10/29/scary-copywriting/comment-page-1/#comment-125 Tweets that mention The pros and cons of scary copywriting -- Topsy.com Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:45:00 +0000 http://www.abccopywriting.com/blog/?p=193#comment-125 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Lorraine Thompson, Ben Locker. Ben Locker said: RT @ABC_Copywriting: RT @tweetmeme The pros and cons of scary copywriting http://retwt.me/1G8oj [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Lorraine Thompson, Ben Locker. Ben Locker said: RT @ABC_Copywriting: RT @tweetmeme The pros and cons of scary copywriting http://retwt.me/1G8oj [...]

]]> By: Ben Locker http://www.abccopywriting.com/blog/2009/10/29/scary-copywriting/comment-page-1/#comment-123 Ben Locker Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:58:02 +0000 http://www.abccopywriting.com/blog/?p=193#comment-123 Yes, I agree - the positive is generally the best bet. Negative ads are also likely to inspire retaliation from your competitors. On the other hand, you can create ads that are so insanely negative or offensive that the indignation they rouse gets acres of free publicity. This is something that has to be handled with extreme caution, though - the Labour poster of Michael Howard swinging a watch and looking like Shylock didn't do anyone any favours, and I bet it lost more votes than it won. Yes, I agree – the positive is generally the best bet. Negative ads are also likely to inspire retaliation from your competitors.

On the other hand, you can create ads that are so insanely negative or offensive that the indignation they rouse gets acres of free publicity. This is something that has to be handled with extreme caution, though – the Labour poster of Michael Howard swinging a watch and looking like Shylock didn’t do anyone any favours, and I bet it lost more votes than it won.

]]>