Julius Caesar and the art of copywriting.
Perhaps one of the greatest challenges in copywriting is to be remembered.
So, how can copywriters make words stick?
Let’s look at an example that survived the sands of time.
As most of you already know, the Roman general and statesman Julius Caesar is forever immortalised by his victory quote in the year 47 BC.
“Veni. Vidi. Vici.”
(I came. I saw. I conquered.)
In his historic Gettysburg address, Abraham Lincoln defined democracy as
“government of the people, by the people, for the people.”
If you want a more modern day example, just ask any real estate agent what makes a property valuable.
Chances are, the reply is
“Location. Location. Location.”
In the world of speech writing and copywriting, this technique is known as the ‘rule of three’.
Some call it the ‘power of three’.
What’s so special about it?
The rule of 3 helps create a pattern in copywriting.
When you have a pattern, you have a rhythm.
This makes copywriting catchy and easy to remember.
Here’s what I found.
The rule of 3 doesn’t have to be just a list of 3 messages.
Great copywriting tend to take the rule of 3 up a notch, by giving readers an unexpected ending.
It’s like a plot twist.
So how do copywriters do that?
Think 3 steps:
One-Two-Twist.
What that means is, you list down the first message, then the second message.
And once you get to your third message, you give it an unexpected twist.
Lead your reader into one direction, and then catch them with a surprise turn.
It’s kind of like a punchline used in standup comedy.
Here are some of my favourite examples of copywriting using the rule of 3.
The first is a poster for the museum of childhood.
It’s an exhibition for toys from the 70s, 80s and 90s.
And it’s meant to bring back a sense of nostalgia.
Now, if you’re familiar with the 80’s, you’ll instantly get the reference to the animated series Masters of the Universe.
The headline initially talks about transportation options to the museum.
The twist reveals more about what you’ll find in the exhibition itself.
Here’s an example for powerboat racing.
Powerboat racing is pretty much like formula one racing, on water.
So the headline leads you into thinking that it’s talking about jets.
The twist makes you realise it’s actually talking about really fast boats.
The next example is an ad for LL Bean, a brand that makes clothing for extreme weather.
Using the One-Two-Twist technique, the headline leads you into thinking that LL Bean only tests specific parts of their jacket, when in fact they really test their jackets outside in the elements.
There you go.
The rule of 3 is a copywriting technique that makes messages memorable.
And copywriters can take it to the next level by using the One-Two-Twist method.