A little research going a long way...

 

I started seeing these posters for the Paralympics yesterday on the tube. Apparently they're by McCann Worldgroup, and they're certainly striking - they command attention far more than most other posters currently up there. I'm a little dubious about the copywriting on this one, because strictly speaking he doesn't just use his arms. The wheels help.

This one is a whole lot better, and a really good example of research driving the copy. You push your client for all the information they can offer, then pick out what's interesting. In fact it's so strong that they should have have used this powerful theme - the minute difference between success and failure - across the whole campaign.

I also like this one because it doesn't explicitly reference the disability - it just shows it in the image. I think people are used to the idea that Paralympic achievement is against all odds, and just want to treat it as any other sport. Having said that, I assume someone at the Paralympic Association signed it off so if they don't mind, I suppose it's hardly something to make a fuss about.

Pret - good copy bad copy

Had a bite to eat in Pret the other day, and was taken with the packaging of their own-brand food - clearly a lot of effort had gone into it. It's clear and makes its point concisely, but still adding those buzzwords: "lovingly", "fresh", "natural". "Made today, gone today" is a neat and elegant little phrase too.

In contrast, this - on a bag of low-fat popcorn from a different manufacturer - is just a mess. The first sentence is weak, utterly uninspiring. And the second paragraph aims for enthusiasm, but really - are they the first people to describe making food as an art form? If they'd just said "Making popcorn is an art form", I'd never have responded "well that just sounds ridiculous", I'd have thought "well, I suppose there's a lot you have to get right".

And then there's this pathological obsession with crisps, mentioned FOUR times on the packaging. It made me want to eat a bag of crisps, quite frankly. Oh, and what's the "hybrid stuff" when it's at home? What are the one thing and the other that sailing camp at Bosham aren't? What is any less "industrial" about mass-produced popcorn? It's not as though individual kernels taste different.

So, when I'm feeling peckish, I'll eat what the hell I like, thank you very much.

(they were quite tasty though)