Classic Radio Commercials
Most
people on earth remember this Classic Radio Commercial for National Dynamics
Speed Tapes. "What's on your feet?
Shoes. What else?
S-O-C-K-S.
(Why did 30-second Spanish lessons increase calls 250% Day One? See Id-Positioning.)
More
lessons:
Do you see a loose light?
What time is it? K or a S??
Sorry, I feel so low, I see into your toe.
"Why
you wanna eat-a your nice-a Italian meal... Outside?
Budget Rent a Car has a nice-a deal for you..." This
radio commercial ran on three networks and in dozens of spot radio markets. Then... Budget Rent a Truck
made it So
Easy
to move your stuff...
If you're unfamiliar with DR Radio,
here's an article you might
find useful
"The Basics of Direct
Response Radio."
Writing
Radio Commercials. It's easy. Just let the customer do it.
Truth is stronger than fiction. To make these
radio commercials I interview customers, pencil edit, live edit, add a little nudgy VO, and mix. (Here's how it's done.)
The simplest approach lets one person tell his or her story. Dice.com was the
leading IT job board and had helped each IT pro find the job of their dreams. Here are my two favorite one-on-ones.
Forrest
P was an IT pro who knew how to find a job fast on dice.com. In fact, during this interview, he still had his
pager on.
Monica
D
just gushed she was so happy to get a job through dice.
And this commercial is me debuting dice in
Atlanta.
We got an instant 300% increase in site traffic. In this case, writing radio
commercials was a little tougher. I had to learn enough IT lingo to
sound like one.
(For
more dice radio...)
A more complex testimonial spot can involve five to ten customer clips, each one delivering - in his or her own words - the "copy."
Stinky Dog - Now running on ABC Prime Reach, this spot for Dinovite skips down the long tortuous road dog-owners travel to
finally rescue their Beloved Pooch from the agony of commercial-dog-food-induced stinkies, sheddies and itchies.
Show Up! - I cut this spot from infomercial testimonial tracks and added a word or two from the President(s) to remind people to show up for the Whitney Group's Cash Flow Generator Free
Seminars - today!
Radio Advertising Sells
Even in the dead of night, radio advertising sells
products for Direct Response advertisers who can answer the phone.
Are you headed into a dialogue with your corporate superiors this morning, or a dialectic? Dunno? Maybe it's time to improve your Verbal
Advantage. Radio advertising sells Intelligence.
And
Now listen to Radio Tonga et al on your new Grundig YB500 short-wave
receiver. Radio advertising sells... Radio.
Got Grout grunge? Soap scum? Here's a silly spot for a neat way to Clean
Up - naturally. Radio advertising sells Orange Peels.
"Sex"
in radio advertising sells, too! (Better turn down your speakers! This spot for Virigenx was
aimed at guys, but we got a lot of calls from wistful ladies.)
Radio advertising sells
Houses, too. Do you want to sell yours? We want to buy it. We're National Home
Buyers, and... just in case you want to Quit
Smoking without the Patch, radio advertising sells Health.
Last,
but not least, Silent Radio.
Before animated gifs and Flash, this was a pretty nifty way to tell a
sequential story on the Internet. Still is.
