Page 43 - 100 Great Copywriting Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

15 SHINY, BRIGHT,
EXCITING ADJECTIVES

A young girl was going into school to take her English exam. Her
mother checked her uniform, made sure she had a pen that worked,
then uttered this piece of advice: “Remember, dear: two adjectives to
every noun and you’ll be sure to pass.”

It’s a style of writing that many people cling to in later life, too. Even
copywriters. But not the greats. You see, it turns out that larding
your prose with adjectives achieves precisely the opposite effect to
the one you are striving for.

The idea

From too many companies to name individually
Just as a diet high in fat furs up your arteries like old water pipes, so
a profusion of adjectives clogs up your writing and makes it harder
to get the meaning through. And let’s be clear—we are always
striving to communicate an idea. Clearly, vividly, and concisely. So
why are adjectives so dangerous? Essentially, because all too often
they allow the lazy writer to avoid the work of researching the subject
and choosing the precise noun.

Lazy writers don’t bother bringing their product or service to life;
they leave all the hard work to the reader. Let’s look at an example
from the “super, smashing, great” school of adjectival overuse:

The conference will close with an exciting acrobatic display.

This writer has fallen back on our old pal, “exciting” as a substitute for
thought. Let’s suppose we’ve found out a bit more about the display.

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