Dramatic Sales Writing

This entry is about radio ads. I spend a
lot of time in my car listening to the
radio. I wish I didn't, but
that's another story.

Anyway, despite sometimes constant flipping
up and down through the dial to find
music I want, I still wind up hearing a
lot of commercials.

And I have to ask -- does anybody know
the answer? Is there some research or
testing to verify that the gratuitous
use of irrelevant pain or conflict ups response?

It seems to me that a lot of radio ads
build in some kind of negativity or conflict
that actually detracts and distracts from
the central message.

For instance, a slight example is Taco Bell's
recent ads featuring burritos and tacos
crashing a bachelorette party. They brag
about their ability to spice up the night,
adding the entertainment. So far, so good,
if silly.

At the end, though, a taco is wearing a
policeman's hat and wants to ask the
hostess a few questions.

What's the point? Does Taco Bell really
think it's a good idea to identify their
food with police who disguise themselves
as tacos? With police who have nothing
better to do than crash bachelorette parties?

How is that supposed to make me want to
eat at Taco Bell?

And that whole idea of something happening
at a bachelorette party that the police
would have the right to investigate?
How old-fashioned is that?

I remember a time when that would've been
considered sort of funny, because bachelor
parties may have strippers etc. And I
guess some bachelorette parties might have
something sexually explicit happening.

But who cares?

In a world where Viagra is advertised on
prime time TV and the top TV show is
about adulterous housewives, and every
kind of sexual activity is legal as long
as it's consensual, not between a boss
and a worker and not with minors, who cares
what goes on at a bachelorette party,
let alone the police?

That's a small example. Next -- a much
larger one.

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