Copywriting principles and practice

¶ … Stop...Go...Stay

Creative Brief

If an American child misbehaves, his mother says 'be good' (which implies he's being bad).

The French mother corrects the child with, 'Be wise.'

The Scandinavian mother says, 'Be friendly.'

The German mother says, 'Be in line.'

But the Hopi Indian mother says, 'That is not the Hopi way' (Raphel 2008)."

Positioning Canberra

Stop...Go...Stay...the title, as well as the tagline for this particular project, proposes to position Canberra as an exciting place to stop and consider as an option for a place to study, work and live. The audience for this copywriting campaign is encouraged to STOP:

S...tay; to T...ake Time to O...bserve; to P...articipate in life.

Currently, Canberra, the capital of Australia, represents the perfect place to stop, to take time to stay in and go forward in learning; at work or at play; while living life. Canberra, geographically positioned on the Murrumbidgee, one of Australia's majestic rivers, and its tributary the Molonglo, reflects a bounty of natural and contemporary creative beauty.

In the immediate area, mountains and the hills offer nature parks for outdoor adventures, while two hours south, individuals may ski Australia's highest mountain range. Two hours to the east, locals and visitors may bask in the sun shining on miles and miles of untainted Pacific Coast beaches ("Where Is Canberra?" 2008). To effectively position Canberra in the intended audience's mind, this researcher developed an interesting, informative, intellectually and emotionally stimulating presentation from a number of online resources. The theme STOP...Go...Stay... persists throughout the proposition.

Research Summary

Research for this project included accessing information from a number of credible sites, included several recommended in the assignment.

To "spot" and surmount potential challenges to spotlighting this positioning project, this student utilized the following mind map to develop and expand on "the Big idea" for this project.

30 Second TV Script/Story Board

Stop...Go...Stay... Storyboard Key

XCU: EXTREME CLOSEUP

CU: CLOSEUP Shot

MS: MEDIUM Shot

WS: WIDE Shot

XWS: EXTREME WIDE Shot

Shot 1: Title: "STOP" Fade in. 5 seconds. Fade out. Idea: key the title over a CU of several scenes in Canberra (iStockphoto 2008).

Shot 2: WS: XWS of world map. (Blank World map 2008)

Where in the world?

Shot 3: CU: CU of question marks with ellipsis.

Shot 4: MS: Ideas (iStockphoto 2008)?

Shot 5: WS. Map of Australia; Fade in: Canberra (Map of Australia 2008).

Shot 6: XCU: Finger points to Canberra on map (Map of Canberra 2008).

Shot 7: XWS: Fade in: Rainbow/Canberra.

Fade to blue sky (adapted from Stockphoto 2008).

Shot 8: XCU: Finger pointing to a Canberra on exit sign. Fade to swirl of colors (adapted from Stockphoto 2008).

Shot 9: MS: Canberra - one particular place in the world, like the colors of the rainbow, reflects a spectacular hue of opportunities for dreams.

Shot 10: WS: CU STOP sign.

S...ee;

T...ake Time;

O...bserve;

P...articipate in life.

Fade to green (iStockphoto 2008).

Shot 11: WS: CU green light. The "invitation" could not be any greener. Fade to swirl of colors (iStockphoto 2008).

Shot 12: Canberra - the perfect place to stop, stay and go forward in learning; at work or at play; while living life. (adapted from iStockphoto 2008).

Stop...Go...Stay... 30 Second Radio

Gilson (N.d.) stresses that writing for radio differs from writing for print; that the copywriter writes for the ear, not the eye. Because listeners can't rewind the advertisement to hear it again, they may easily miss a main point unless it is clear. Points Gilson (N.d.) recommends include:

Draw listeners in with a story that includes a beginning, middle, and end / Set a scene, raise a question, play a weird noise, or introduce a character.

Vary Sounds

Talk in Conversational tone.

Use visual, concise, specific words.

Use active voice and words.

Experiment

Demonstrate thoughtfulness

Write for the ear

Stop...Go...Stay

ACT (0:10)

Sound of police siren.

Police Officer: "May I please see your driver's license?"

Speeder:

I'm sorry officer, but..."

Police Officer: "I'm sorry, too, but there's no excuse for speeding down the wrong way in life."

Anchor (0:10)

Next time, or any time you or an officer of the law catch your speeding, feeling frustrated due to knowing it's time for a change in your life - STOP.

Stop...Go...Stay... In Carberra. Carberra, Australia's capital, offers the perfect place to stop, to take time to stay in and go forward in learning; at work or at play; while living life.

ACT (0:10)

Sound of waves or other soothing water: Canberra reflects a bounty of natural and contemporary creative beauty in its immediate area, as mountains and the hills offer nature parks for outdoor adventures. Two hours to the south, Australia's highest mountain range provide slopes for ski enthusiasts; while two hours to the east, locals and visitors may bask in the sun shining on miles and miles of untainted Pacific Coast beaches ("Where Is Canberra?" 2008).

Either direction you decide to go in life, why not make a point to slow down and to explore and consider Canberra as the place for the change you need in life. Sure beats speeding down the wrong way.

TAPE - Estimated time: 30 seconds

Fact to Factor

The following "Fast Fact," could be included in each component of campaign, contingent on client's approval.

FAST FACTS

Cost of living

Whether you are buying a house, parking the car or sipping a coffee, you'll find it's cheaper in Canberra. Here's how some of the costs stack up, in $AUD:

All day parking in the city: $5.00 - $7.50

Cappuccino: $3.00

Movie ticket: $15.50

Bus ticket: $3.00 (weekly Faresaver $22.00)

Entry to Australian War Memorial, National Gallery of Australia, National Museum of Australia, Canberra Glassworks: Free

Pool admission: $4.50

Entry to National Zoo and Aquarium: Adults - $23.50, Children 0-3 - Gold coins, Children 4-15 - $12.50

Floriade entry: Free

Median weekly rent: $343 per week

Median house price: $403,000

Climate

Someone once said, 'Canberra is just full of hot air' - and it is! Watching our colourful balloons dancing across Lake Burley Griffin in autumn truly is one of life's magic moments. And speaking of autumn, Canberra is one of the few places in Australia where you really can enjoy four distinct seasons with buckets of sunshine all year round.

You can expect warm to hot summers, clear, crisp winters, spectacular springs and balmy colourful autumns. Fact: Canberra enjoys more hours of sunshine than Sydney or the Gold Coast.

Average maximum temperatures

Summer (December-February) - 27 degrees

Autumn (March-May) - 20 degrees

Winter (June-August) - 12 degrees

Spring (September-November) - 19 degrees

ACT school holidays

In Australia, the school year begins in late January/early February, with short breaks in April, July and September. The school year finishes just before Christmas, with the long school holidays over the Australian summer in December and January.

Fast facts

Population: 336,000

Median age: 34 years

Average full time weekly income: $1,287

Average commute time to work: 15-20 minutes

Driving time to Sydney: 3 hours

Driving time to NSW coast: 2 hours

Driving time to NSW ski fields: 2.5 hours

Unemployment rate: 2.5% (4.3% nationally) ("Fast Facts" 2008)

Creative Rationale

This proposition satisfies the client brief and the Return on Investment R.O.I. test, as this proposition invested a myriad of research, creative energy and development to produce this Stop...Go...Stay...campaign.