Russ Albums Voice Talent Blog

Who IS writing your Scripts? OK. Let me begin with 2 thoughts #1: How does it persist that ‘copywriters’ don NOT understand Word Count?!! That a :30 spot should be 90 words and a :60 should be 180 words? It should be a mandatory 1st commandment of advertising. Then they wonder why you sound like a Mecum Auto Auctioneer (!!) and not like Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs/Ford Spots). Here’s the direction: ” I’d like to have you emulate Mike Rowe. A nice firm matter of fact Friendly read” as they give you a script with 112 words!!!! take into account “Just $27,999 ( pause) That’s right, $27,999″. OK lets look at that sentence “Just Twenty Seven, Nine Ninety Nine (pause) That’s right Twenty seven, Nine Ninety Nine” an easy :06, now repeat that for the Four OR FIVE vehicles they have ‘on sale’ that’s :18 or :24! Now add the Dealer name, address, website and slug lines and you are now a speed reader with NO Inflection possible. “Oh, I can read it in :28 seconds easy”. NO you Can NOT! Oh, that’s right you are reading silently in your head….Try that script again…reading ALOUD and having to Enunciate those words. Ahhhh. It’s way over :30 Now isn’t it. Point of fact. I have ALWAYS bought American cars, just the way I am. Oops. there was a few years when I was a 20 something young peckerhead who wanted a Vette but, Hah, they were WAY out of my price range, so I bought an MG to have a little cornering hot rod. One thing I promised to do and have held true ” I will Never, Never buy a Toyota”. Why? They had the most screaming, irritating commercials on the planet. SEE, advertising works!!!

Now a quick pass at point #2: Gratuitous Phrases. I believe a lot of copy comes from AE’s that work all sides of the road…meaning selling Radio, TV and Newspaper. Why else would there be gratuitous phases like ” Conveniently located on the corner of Fly By Night Avenue and Sixtieth Street”. (:04.3) OR “Your Friendly Hometown merchant in business for the last Thirty Seven years.” (another :04.6). Add that to the previous :18 or :24 and you are already at :22  or :28!!
Listen, most of our ads go to small markets of 20 – 100,000 population. The advertisers Father or even Grandfather has had that business on the same corner for over half a century. You probably go to Church with them, shop at the same grocer, buy your new couch or TV at the same store, go to the Town/Company picnic, play cards with them every Friday night…OR even live down the black from them. You know them, your Mom And Dad knows them…and your kids most likely go to school with theirs! So PLEASE STOP!! We know who they are and where their business is, we more than likely drive past it every day on the way to and from work! Put your creative skills to work and write some copy that says something special about your Client, not 75 year old advertising crutches…should we update that to say Advertising Spam?!? Be creative, be innovative, stop being lazy. I believe your Client will like it a lot better that sounding like the same old crap he hears form every other business like his.