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If I had more time I would have written less

By Adam Fausset, client services director

AB...

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May 23, 2016 | 4 min read

The title of this blog is a quote which I like to run out, ad nauseam. I was never sure of its origin until recently, but I’ll get back to that.

Adam Fausset of ab...the ideas agency
Adam Fausset is client services director of ab...the ideas agency

Adam Fausset of ab...the ideas agency

Adam Fausset is client services director of ab...the ideas agency

I love this saying. It's an obvious contradiction in terms but, for me, it summarises one of the great truths in advertising.

You see, ‘word-smithing’ is an art. (I'm doing my best here, but I haven't got a lot of time!) The longer a piece of prose is, the longer a story goes on, the more likely people will lose interest.

The digital world is proof of this. Analytics reveal that, all too often, lengthy online content is abandoned before the end, failing to engage its audience in any kind of meaningful way. In one ear out the other.

Almost without doubt, the best advertising, particularly print, outdoor and digital is simple, insightful, knowing and to the point. There are exceptions, of course, to the general rule (and feel free to contact me with examples) but generally speaking, when it comes to word count, less is more when it comes to making a lasting impression. Here are a few of my favourite examples of linguistic brevity in marketing, some old, some new and some obvious.

AB blog - balls ad
McDonalds recruitment campaign.

Two great examples of attitude, confidence, inspiration AND part of a bigger campaign.

DONT anti-Trump campaign

This is a great example. Simple, you could list a whole host of reasons why Toupe Trump would be wrong, but it all boils down to one salient point. So say it!

KitKat campaign

Some campaigns have such longevity in the public psyche, that their famous lines can become even shorter and more pithy.

Mercedes skidmarks campaign

Some campaigns don't even need words at all.

I wonder if when Mercedes briefed the agency, they told the account man, you’ve got as long as you want on this brief! In fact they had so long arguing back and forth over a line with the client that they ended up with nothing!

Visit Wales ad

And here we have lots of words. But the point is the quality of the copy. There are no free riders, there is no wastage, every word is working to its max. This is 'craft'. It ebbs and flows and your left in no doubt what the voice of Wales feels like.

But what about the origin of that quote, I hear you say? Practise what you preach Mr Blogger Man.

Well, I used to tell people that it was coined by Samuel Pepys, the 17th Century diarist who famously wrote: “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.” But I was wrong.

A Google search revealed that Blaise Pascal is cited as saying something similar, as is Churchill and Cicero. Ultimately it doesn't really matter. The fact remains that if you apply this logic to your working life in the ad world, you'll do well.

Just make sure you have enough time.

Adam Fausset is client services director of ab...the ideas agency

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