Page 27 - 100 Great Copywriting Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

7 WRITE AS YOU SPEAK

I was sitting in the cinema recently, waiting for the movie
to start. After the ads and the trailers, we were treated to this
screen announcement: “The management regrets the necessity
of informing patrons that the safety of personal valuables cannot
be guaranteed and they should not be placed where they cannot
be seen.”
A bemused, then amused, murmur went around as we worked out
what it meant: “Keep your bags safe: don’t put them on the floor.”
That started me thinking about the way we dress up perfectly simple
messages in stifling layers of unnecessary language. It’s almost as if
we’re ashamed to let our words out of doors unadorned.

The idea

From Hox Brasserie, a Salisbury restaurant
This upmarket Indian restaurant in Salisbury is a cut above the
typical neighborhood “curry house.” The owner, Atiqul Hoque,
wanted to create a very personal-sounding menu with a letter from
him at the very beginning. Here it is, in full:

Dear Customer, The Spanish say, “My house is your house.”
I’d like to say to you, “My restaurant is your restaurant.”
I want you to feel like a regular here, even if it’s your first visit.
And if you’re coming back, I hope it’s because we delighted
you last time with our friendly approach (and of course, our
authentic, original—and delicious—food).

18 • 100 GREAT COPYWRITING IDEAS