In advertising, every project is composed of two crucial elements – the copy and the visual design. Unlike yin and yang where the two halves must always be in balance, advertising is less philosophical and allows for projects to either be copy- or design-driven. However, this begs the age-old chicken and egg debate… which should come first? Being copywriters, we’re naturally inclined to side with our job, but what if there are instances that require otherwise? Join Wordsmith as we delve deeper into this perplexing paradox!
Would you say this advert is copy- or design-driven? Although we’re leaning towards the former, you have to admit that the simple design element (the placement of the tape) is what makes this ad so great!
Why we think copy is the preferred candidate (in most instances)
To the casual observer, it may appear that copywriting is simply writing the words used in an advertisement: the headline, the body copy and the call-to-action. However, the scope of copywriting often extends much further to encompass a project’s theme and overarching narrative – a handy reference for grounding the project’s expectations.
Imagine yourself as a copywriter on a team responsible for designing several banners for a new promotion, how do you think the creative process should go? Here are three possible options:
Option 1:
i. Copywriters and designers run off to do their own thing.
ii. The two parts are then mashed together, followed by tweaks to either to better accommodate one another.
iii. The client provides feedback and revisions are made.
Option 2:
i. The copywriters come up with a theme and seek client approval.
ii. Once approved, the writers hammer out the copy and seek client sign-off.
iii. The designers work on the layout and the final copy is flowed onto the layouts.
iv. Once the team is happy with the options, it is sent to the client for final approval.
Option 3:
i. Copywriters and designers brainstorm together to think of a theme.
ii. After the theme is approved, the copy is written and sent to the client for comments while designers think of layout options.
iii. The approved copy is flowed onto the layouts.
iv. Once the team is happy with the options, it is sent to the client for approval.
If you think option 2 to be optimal, you might want to think again (and yes, that’s coming from us)! People need to realise that it’s very rare for copywriters to work alone – and even rarer to get sole authority over a project’s narrative and theme. While narratives are innately copy-driven by nature, designers and copywriters work together to establish a complete package. Think of the relationship as a production team for Disney animated movies – if animators were absent during brainstorming sessions, what would happen if the writers wanted to do something that was impossible to animate? They’d have to waste time rethinking the entire scene, hence the importance of having input from both sides to eliminate bad expectations. Through this argument, we can also scratch off option 1 for being inefficient and likely requiring multiple rounds of revisions.
Option 3 is probably the industry standard. But have you ever wondered why copywriters usually face tighter deadlines than their designer colleagues? Indeed, there is a perception that it’s quicker and easier to sling words on paper than it is to create a pretty picture. However, we would argue that it’s the thought process behind the writing that requires the most amount of time.
At the end of the day, working with approved copy simplifies the design process immensely. Without it, designers have to rely on unreliable placeholders while constructing their layouts – how frustrating it’d be having to use guesswork to determine spacing. What happens if the headline is suddenly much longer than anticipated? Or if the body copy is too short and you now have an unsightly emptiness in the middle of the page… trust us, no one appreciates working with uncertainties!
In travel ads, copy is used to complement the stunning visuals (instead of trying to outshine it through grandiloquence or excessive wit). How do you tell if an ad is design-driven? Try taking out the headline and see if you can still figure out what the ad is about! If so, it’s likely design-driven.
The other side of the coin
Although copy-driven ad production is the norm, that’s not to say design never gets its spot in the limelight. In advertising, there are instances where the client will provide your team with pre-determined images or assets to use – most notably in real estate or travel, where captivating visuals are a must. While this does restrict a writer’s creativity, sometimes it’s an enjoyable challenge to work within a set of given constraints.
For ads like these, it may be difficult to judge how well copy stands on its own – so it’s not unusual for clients to ask for mock layouts to see the effect of the headline and the main visual. At this point, the body copy probably hasn’t been written, so designers present layouts with dummy text (lorem ipsum, anyone?)
Another great thing about mock ups is that some clients may not have a very clear idea of what their ad should look like – but they do know what they don’t want (usually after they see it). Giving them options helps to get the conversation started, and although it’s common to expect several rounds of revisions, you can mix and match copy with different visual elements to create variations around a theme the client likes.
To sum up the copy vs design debate, our best answer is: it depends… In most circumstances, leading with copy is usually the more efficient path, but as is with most things in life, there are exceptions. If you’re ever in doubt, give your local wordsmiths a call – we’d be happy to help you figure it out!