“Blah, Blah, Blah”
There are a number of reasons for all of the bad radio ads on the air today.
- Very few radio writers seem to understand the art of storytelling.
- Writers who think they’re funny most often are not.
- There is a difference between humor and comedy and to not understand that results in spots that are just stupid.
- Clients don’t want to invest in the long-term cause and effect of a great campaign and what it can do for their brand. They want immediate gratification; run the radio ad, have people call, come in or go online RIGHT NOW. Think Sleep Country, a last chance to save for the last time every $#%@ week.
- Then there is maybe the worst offender of bad radio, the radio stations. Station sales people are more aggressive than ever about getting “direct clients”. That means no professional creative talent is involved in the writing or production of the advertising.Ads are written by the sales staff or the janitor, and they are voiced by the same on-air personalities to the point of ad nauseam, literally ad nauseam.
Radio is a great creative medium. It’s the one place a writer can’t hide behind an art director. If you’re going to advertise on the radio remember one thing: it’s great creative that makes the medium valuable. Not how cheap you buy the ads.