The Three Most Hideous Punctuation Errors in Advertising

In advertising, concept comes first. But having a big-picture focus shouldn’t mean forgetting to polish and perfect every nuanced detail of a campaign. Suzanne Pope, ACD at John St, recently wrote about the implications of typos in ads. And she’s right. Obvious errors, like misspellings,  are bad.  But poor punctuation is just as common and often just as ugly. In fact, Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty proves this point with her recent tweet:

So how does poor punctuation play out in advertising? What a well-timed question, my friend. Here’s a breakdown of the three most hideous misuses of punctuation in advertising. (Disagree with my top three? Add yours to the comments).

Ellipses

An ellipsis, or the infamous dot-dot-dot (…), represents a pause or break. While we do pause frequently in natural speech, ellipses look terrible in print, especially in advertising. When an advertiser uses an ellipsis, they come across as overly dramatic or untrustworthy. Here’s an example of a poorly placed ellipsis:

It’s better to be straight and to the point than to make consumers…question your sincerity.

Quotations

Oh, quotation marks. For some reason, local advertisers especially seem to struggle with when and where to use quotes. And when faced with this struggle, it seems they always throw them in to there “just to be safe.” But if the copy isn’t actually quoting someone (or mock-quoting someone), then the quotes undermine the message. Here’s a classic example from the endlessly funny “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks:

I hope this yard sale lasts forever (Credit: The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks)

Or take this sign, which attempts to explain the rules of the gym:

(Credit: The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks)

When in doubt, go without. “Trust me.”

Exclamation Points

Exclamation points are intended to show enthusiasm. In advertising, they just look cheesy.

And stupid:

Remember, exclamation points are not question marks. They make ads sound incredibly desperate for attention!!!!

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Advertising should be clear and meaningful. Punctuation can help achieve this, but not when used incorrectly. So…be aware. Be “alert.” And please! Be more observant.

Grow Thicker Skin?

I’ve come across quite a few job ads lately that specify that applicants should have “a thick skin.” Having a certain detachment to ideas is critical for a copywriter, but saying “toughen up” just doesn’t seem to foster creativity in the right way. Or in any way at all.

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love, gave a mind-blowing speech on this very topic just over a year ago. The video (below) is 20 minutes long and worth every second of your time.

But if you are time-crunched, here’s a synopsis:
Gilbert says to think about having a genius instead of being a genius. What’s this mean? I picture the difference here to be trying to make a butterfly versus trying to catch one. If you work tirelessly to produce an idea out of nothing, that’s just it—you’ll be exhausted. But if you accept that ideas come from outside of you, then the pressure of not sucking decreases some. See, when you have a creative muse, or an external source where your ideas come from, you don’t need a thick skin because the idea didn’t originate with you. You are simply the identifier of the idea. So identify well and let your muse take the heat when she has an off day.

It’s a liberating and lovely thought, one I wish more ad agencies would consider. Think about it—if you have a genius, you’re never actually working alone.

Career Advice from a Stranger

Back in January, on nothing but a whim, I googled “interactive copywriter” and emailed the first person to come up. Why? Because I had a lot of questions, I didn’t know any interactive copywriters to ask and this guy clearly had good SEO.

My bizarre test worked and I got a response right away. Zach Golden, a New York-based interactive copywriter, started by giving me the following advice:

My best career advice would be to become a pigeon. Stick with me on this one, they get fed by everyone even though they are universally annoying (fun fact: The pigeon, aka the squab, is a delicacy in almost every country but this one), they never really have to work that hard, they can fly and they don’t have creative directors.

While Home Alone 2 did teach me not to hate pigeons or the people who take care of them, I’m still not sold into actually becoming one. Luckily, Zach allowed me to pester him with more questions.

BR: What’s the difference between an interactive copywriter and a traditional one?
ZG: They are the same thing, except that I will still have a job next year, and traditional copywriters won’t. Ok maybe not. Interactive, as it pertains to my career, has meant working on mostly digital projects and using fancy buzzwords that impress older people.

BR: What do you think digital agencies are looking for in interactive CWs?
ZG: Digital agencies are looking for conceptual thinkers who can think bigger than a print ad. How does some random campaign theme translate into an interesting online experience, more than a website usually. Knowing what’s cool/hip/able to be done doesn’t hurt, talk the talk kinda thing.

BR: Do you find interactive work to be less about concepts and more about the nuanced details?
ZG: Interactive work should ideally be about concept, but like everything in advertising, sometimes become more executional in nature. Concept can be different, because it’s hard to be overtly conceptual on a offer promo landing page for example.

BR: Is your creative team bigger because of the technical aspects involved? Or is the process pretty similar for you?
ZG: Interactive creative teams can be bigger, but I’ve always had the benefit of having an Art Director partner. We sometimes work with User Experience (UEX), Information Architects, Developers, Interaction Designers, etc. Process wise, it’s the same thing as traditional.

BR: Do you ever get bored doing what you do?
ZG: I get bored frequently. There is lots of down time in advertising. Luckily, it’s a pretty flexible profession, meaning we go play xbox, or watch a movie, or do whatever other stupid things we want to keep us enteratined.

Oddly enough, Zach’s answers have yet to dissuade me from a career in interactive copywriting or advertising in general.