Writer's Journal #5

The process is very similar, but in advertising we have other steps to consider:

We start with a briefing: The briefing is a document sent by the client in which he tells the advertising agency what he needs for his next campaign. He gives details about the product, its uses, its general characteristics, its benefits, its target market, what makes it different of other products of the competition. Sometimes they give extra information about specific market trends or specific goals they wish to achieve. This may vary from agency to agency and also to costumer to costumer, but the more information and detail the briefing has, the writing process will be more effective.

Then we go to Invention, or Planning as it is called in the class: In this process everybody in the creative team seats together and start to drop ideas about what the advertising campaign should be like. This process is very important and it can be the different between a unique one of a kind advertising piece, or a complete failure. Many agencies have different approaches to this process, some rely in the talent of one individual, some rely in talent of a couple or a group of individuals, some rely in team work and invite as many people as they can to be part of the process. Some are really scientific and procedural about it. Others make it as an excuse to get together and gossip while they write. Some agencies don’t use an invention process at all.

Drafting is work of copywriters and here is where you need a talented writer to craft a message that is short, sweet and memorable. You need to pile all the information you got in the briefing and the planning process and summarize it in a short, 3 to 4 words slogan. That slogan will be the title of your advertising story and from it you need to write down the advertising pieces you are going to suggest the client to invest money at: TV, Radio, Digital, Press, etc. You also decide which media are you going to use and which frequency the ad is going to be delivered.

Producing: producing is the part where the advertising piece is made for by each media. This needs the collaboration of actors, film directors, photographers, makeup artists, dressing experts, narrators, audio and video producers. Is the most complex and expensive part of the process and usually where the headaches get together, arguments starts, enemies are made and everything gets complicated. Is a very tense part of the process but if it works well it can be really fun.

Editing: Is the final part, is post producing all the advertising pieces, it is when the messages gets its final touches and details ready.

If you compare advertising writing and normal writing the process is very similar, besides the technical aspects of it, they are both really similar in objectives and what you want to achieve. But with advertising you really want to make sure that what you are writing is good and fixed to a business strategy.

Otherwise, lots of money can be lost.