Vent: My client's billboard copy got cut from 12 words to 5 and it actually worked better

I used to write these long, clever lines for outdoor ads, trying to fit a whole story. For a local gym campaign last year, my first draft was 'Transform your fitness journey with our state of the art equipment and personalized training plans.' It felt right to me. The client pushed back hard, said people drive by too fast. We changed it to just 'Get Strong. Feel Better.' and put the website huge underneath. Impressions went up by about 30% in the first month, according to the traffic reports they shared. When did I start overcomplicating a message meant to be seen in two seconds? Has anyone else had a client's blunt feedback completely flip a campaign's results for the better?

3 comments

3 Comments

rubys8023d ago

Well, sometimes "dumbed down" is just "clear and direct.

benclark23d ago

Huh, I mean sometimes that works but honestly I miss the clever stuff. Feels like everything's getting dumbed down.

sean78223d ago

Remember that old show where the detective would solve crimes by noticing tiny details? I tried rewatching one last week and got bored in ten minutes. Maybe my brain is the problem now, trained to want the fast cuts and simple jokes. It's weird to feel yourself change like that.