Three letter word Tuesday June 9, 2009
And.
It’s not a dirty word. But it can cause a reaction when it’s at the start of a sentence. After almost six years of writing for businesses and other organisations, I understand the impact this one little word can have.
In copywriting there are certain questions that come up over and over again. The ‘and’ argument is one of them. It popped up again during a recent meeting to finalise copy I’d written for an events management company.
I used the word to add to the feeling of informality requested in the brief. A linking ‘and’ is also great for adding to the flow of content. But my client’s view was that this was breaking the rules. An ‘and’ at the start is indeed about breaking, or at least bending the rules. It is about doing something different. That’s why so many big brands do it. But writing copy is the process of finding the right mix of what sounds good and what feels right for the client.
Both viewpoints have value. And that’s why this will always be a little bit controversial.
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