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2023 Writing Under Pressure

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290 views

2023 Writing Under Pressure

Uploaded by

giunsoc
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Dan Nelken

IN CASE OF
HEADLINE
EMERGENCY
CLICK OPEN

WRITING UNDER PRESSURE


NO. 1

Find Some Opposites


Find Some Opposites

This first tip was born out of a single


paragraph from my book, which was
stolen from a single paragraph out of
Thomas Kemeny’s book.

Find Some Opposites.

Here’s the paragraph—


Find Some Opposites

“
Clients love this shit. It’s cheap, but it works. Find
some parallel you can make in the language
between opposites. You can do this with just about
any brief, any client, any offer. For example, a bank
wants you to talk about their low interest rates on
their platinum cards. Your line can be “Small rates.
Big deal.” Or “Pay a little, get a lot.” If you’re
working on a car you could say, “Roars like a lion,
priced like a lamb.” Or “Giant horsepower. Tiny
price.”

Thomas Kemeny, Junior, Writing Your Way


Ahead in Advertising
Find Some Opposites

Opposites bring rhythm and


memorability—

*That’s one small step for man, and one


giant step for mankind.
*To err is human; To forgive, divine.”
*Business in the front. Party in the back.
Find Some Opposites

We see and hear them everywhere.

* Write hot. Edit cold.


*Get busy living. Or get busy dying.
*Easy come. Easy go.
*A moment on the lips; a lifetime on the hips.
* Nice guy. Mean writer.
(Creative Director, Cole Thompson’s LinkedIn bio)
Find Some Opposites

On my recent LinkedIn travels,


someone posted a need for urgent
headlines to get people to turn their
thermostats down because energy
sales are funding Vladimir Micropenis
Putin’s War.

In about 8 seconds, my brain spat out—

* Turn the heat up on Putin. By turning


yours down.
Find Some Opposites

Finding an opposite can be as simple as


adding/removing a prefix.

Uninteresting/Interesting
Reasonable/Unreasonable
etc.

* Decent headlines under indecent


timelines.

During a recent headline emergency for


lululemon, I survived by writing—

* Unlimited classes. Limited time offer.


Find Some Opposites

If you’re thinking to yourself—

“You’re a hack, Nelken. No


self-respecting brand would use a
technique like this!”

Ahem…
Find Some Opposites
Find Some Opposites
Find Some Opposites

Here. There. Everywhere.


Find Some Opposites

If nothing obvious comes to mind and


you’re currently curled up into a ball under
your desk, make a list of problems and
benefits. Then fill these out…

*Less (insert problem). More (insert benefit).


*Goodbye (insert problem). Hello (insert benefit).
*Goodbye (insert problem). Heavy on (insert benefit).

Not award-winning but it beats typing


headlines with the weight of your falling
tears.
Find Some Opposites

Or, once you have your list of problems


and benefits, try some other opposite
combinations. Maybe something more
unexpected emerges.

Less/More Small/Big Enter/Exit


Hello/Goodbye Short/Tall Dull/Colourful
Low/High Close/Far Heavy/Light
Slow/Fast Young/Old Weak/Strong
Up/Down Same/Different Rich/Poor
Teenie/Gigantic Old/New Serious/Playful (play with emotions)
Mouse-y/Elephant-y Old School/New School Rough/Smooth
A little/A lot Start/Stop Lamb/Lion (play off animal traits)
Find Some Opposites

If I were to write some quick headlines for


my upcoming course:

* Less curled-up-in-a-ball writing. More copywriting.


* Less stress lines. More headlines.
*More headlines. Less flatlines.
* Goodbye crippling self-doubt. Hello copywriting
confidence.
*Build your craft. Shrink your self-doubt.
*Heavy on craft. Light on crap.
*Increase your writing proficiency. Decrease your
writing anxiety.
*Spend $150 on this course. Save $3700 on therapy.
Find Some Opposites

This is a great technique for short


headlines, email subject lines, and insulting
your son-in-law.

When my father-in-law said he was doing


home renovations, I offered to lend a hand.

I prefaced it by saying, “I’m not handy but


I’m good at carrying stuff and holding stuff.”

To which he responded, “Strong body. Weak


mind.”

Touché, Darryl. Touche.


Find Some Opposites

I’ll close this with a line from Zach Galifinakis’


SNL monologue years ago:

“My girlfriend looks a little like Charlize


Theron.

And a lot like Dog the Bounty Hunter.”


Find Some Opposites
WARNING!
SALES-Y BIT AHEAD
The early bird discount for my first course,
Writing Under Pressure, is available now.
● 20+ headline tips + techniques
● Understand the brain and creativity under
pressure
● 150+ page slide deck summarizing all of the key
tips with examples from the world’s most
famous brands
● Increased copywriting competence and
confidence
● Never face the blank page empty-headed again
…all for just $17.5 million $100 if you get
the course while it’s still in presale.
To receive the discount, subscribe to my
newsletter at nelkencreative.com. See link
in first comment below. Copywriters FTW!

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