Long live the Long Copy

By Juan Diego Guzman – New Business Creative Director | Multicultural Creative | Idea-people | Storyteller-Story-doer | Copywriter | RFP Pitch Winner | Brand Strategist | Data/Insights Analyst | Plot writer | h2h founder I #heretohelp

The craft of putting words together in a unique, memorable, and empowering way is not dead (yet); but it’s sadly neglected nowadays.

I mean, what happened with the legendary copy-driven ads?… Yes! The ones coming from The Economist, Citibank (live richly)… or Budweiser with their congratulatory and fun “Real Men of Genius” audio pieces!!! – Granted, it’s not to copy them but rather saving them from the forgotten chest in the attic to use them as reference and inspiration. #purecopy

In a world where an image is worth more than a thousand words, the theatre of the mind only words can stage and provide is no longer visited. Yet, it’s up to us, writers, marketers, directors, CMOs, and receptionists… to craft compelling headlines, stories, and long copy once again, to keep our dear public and visitors engaged. It’s on us to put the art of copywriting back on its feet! This time even going beyond the traditional and much-needed storytelling to story-doing. That’s right!… Now it’s the time to come up with stories that are actionable in real-time, in real life. The people demand so. Moreover, the world demands so.

Conversely, the fear of being ignored and scrolled down is such that it’s preferred to post a boring array of pixels coming from a stock image bank instead of a beautifully written story. Paradoxically, this horrible practice is done following the so-called #BestPractices – Well, most of these “best practices” are limiting the canvas in such a way that avid and smart readers are left scrolling stock photos with captions that read: “We’re in this together.”, “Stay safe.”, “We’re more united than ever.”, or “We know how you feel right now.” #bs

Long Copy is very much needed… it not only entertains but educates. It forms opinions and debates. It grants the rights to consent to dissent…. to agree to disagree. It takes the viewer to an imaginary passage through which there are emotions to be felt and enjoyed. Long copy even takes the anxiety away. It’s soothing and even provides perspective. A photo can be liked in less than a second, while long copies make that instant emotion last quite longer. Some even leave an unforgettable experience.

Again, a single visual might be valued more than 1000 words these days, #truestory , but a powerful and new word combination like: “Now Hiring My New Boss” is worth more than 1000 stock images. That short line alone is a long copy on its own. It already implies a long back story. And when combined with the action needed to bring it to life, well… hold on! a new start-up is on its way to be born. Also, a long copy explaining why it’s cooler to be second and not first is worth more than the latest selfie of an influencer unpacking X product. Or the long VO script that makes you wonder and smile not only at the end with the expected “punch line”, but throughout.

So, it is not about defining what comes first… #chicken or the #egg … The visual or the copy. It is simply about balancing things out a bit to regain perspective. Or maybe it’s about removing both things at once and propose a whole new way of communication all-together.

One that takes us all out of the box, literally. Or haven’t you noticed that all visual and written content we consume is packaged within a square/rectangle?… You name it: phone screen, TV, tablet, photo, IMAX screens, books, paintings, murals, websites (rectangles within a rectangle)… – music and sculptures are actually the exemption to the rule, though – So, yes… it’s going a be a while for us to figure out ways to interact and communicate other than using framed visuals and texts.

Until then, long live the Long Copy!