Why All Online Copywriting Services Should Study the Nike Print Ad from the 1990s that “Just Did It”
Copywriting services are a dime a dozen. Despite their abundance almost everything you see today passes off as an advertisement. Scroll through Facebook, Instagram or any other social media site that tickles your fancy, and you’ll see what I mean. Online copywriting services for the most part aren’t what real advertising should be.
Most ads I see don’t have any copy. It's just a picture of a girl or woman holding the product. You have to assume the point! But that’s perhaps more creative than lines of copy written by cheap online copywriting services. Most services are run by folks who have barely started speaking English.
Though back in the day things were refreshingly different. It’s only apparent when you go back and look at these old ads like the “Madman” campaign from 1990.
Dave Weist discusses why “Madman” is his favorite
Executive creative director at MullenLowe sat down with us and started off saying that it was arguably the best ad ever. The words overlaid on to the image of a runner, on a moonlit night over a bridge are written by Jerry Cronin. Even today that backdrop holds potent energy that continues to inspire people like myself to get up and “Just Do It.”
Why online copywriting services should study this ad?
When David Jenkins worked as “Madman’s” creative director along with Arthur Meyerson as the creative photographer, there was no concept of people commenting on the ad. The only people who commented were those in the Ad agency, perhaps a company rep and a few other people.
Not having that type of instant condescending feedback that you get today didn’t limit their creative boundaries. Though it would still be relevant in our mobile, driven advertising world. The only difference perhaps may be that the advertising would need to be put through a political correctness filter.
The ad was first published in the January 1st, 1990, edition of Runner’s World. Online copywriting services and freelancers, please take note of the economy of words. It's perfectly crafted, you can’t find a single word that which without the content will fall apart. The thought of how much effort might have gotten into it is mind numbing especially since as a copywriter myself we just have an hour to pull off a miracle.
Why I have a collection of old Nike Print ads and you should too
All online copywriting services, freelance copywriters, or those wanting to get in on the craft need to study all the old Nike print ads. It’s the stuff of legend.
Another favorite is “Pink Moon” which is Volkswagen’s print ad created by Arnold Worldwide back in 1999. The ad is about creating an engineering dream and owning it. The thought of hating something to make it better is sheer genius too.
If you are a budding online copywriting service that wants to get high paying jobs, its time to pull up your socks and take note of the classics. Instagram and Facebook may be great, but they can’t teach you about advertising! Your online copywriting copywriting services need to stand out like that runner.