...or, Why Playing Shelby in a High School Production of Steel Magnolias Significantly Aided My Career
Having just listened to the final cut of the newest Marshalls CUBE radio spot with some senior management (rave reviews, thank you), they were struck by how the seemingly small changes in wording and intonation-directing that I made as we were recording enhanced my original script. And, actually, I got the same kind of pleasantly surprised reaction when I was working on a video series for Indiana University a few years ago. Change a few words, suggest a different emphasis and messages change dramatically.
So, of course, I smile humbly while giving myself a big old internal round of applause for putting in some quality time with the drama kids in high school. Because, what it comes down to is that you can’t write copy without inhabiting the personality of the voice. Some campaigns and companies definitely have more personality to their copy than others, but in order to write it, you’ve got to have a good understanding of that voice behind the copy -- just the same way you have to understand the character behind the lines in a play. And then, once you understand that character/personality/voice, you can make changes (or direct people to make changes) in ways that are true to that personality and message. So, I guess what it all comes down to is that I owe a certain portion of my skills as a copywriter to weeks of studying Ibsen in class and rehearsing Shelby on stage.
This also may mean I should have been less of a pain in the ass in class. Well, live and learn.
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