Copywriting and the best birthday speeches ever 26 April 2011
Cake, celebration and drama. I’m not talking about a certain wedding that takes place later this week, but the 50th birthday party of a friend of a friend. On such a momentous occasion there had to be speeches. The two speeches given by the birthday girl and her brother were the highlights of the night and reminded me about what’s really important in copywriting:
Put the personal into it
It’s obvious that speeches to mark any birthday are going to be personal. But just like effective copywriting, these two really left me feeling like I knew the birthday girl well. This was thanks to their choice of anecdotes, starting with the early days and bringing the story right up to date.
Give it some love
Again, you’re not likely to get a birthday speech without some of the L word thrown in. But it was how the emotion was shared that gave it impact. It wasn’t overstated. It was just a clear message told powerfully. Similar to the way copywriting can communicate positive intention and passion.
Tell the story
I had only met the birthday girl once before, but after those speeches I felt like I knew her. Not bad for two short speeches. That’s because they both told the most important aspects of her story. Again, they had applied the copywriting trick of telling the most powerful story in the quickest possible way.
Give something away
Copywriting done right shares what is unique and special about a topic. The speeches held on to their special giveaway right until the end (sometimes true for copywriting as well, but not always). This was the anecdote that gave the speech its finest moment. We heard the awful tale about the birthday’s girl’s moment of danger as a six year old in a hotel swimming pool. Then about her dramatic rescue by a bloke who played in a local band, but who is now a very well known rock star. If you ask me really nicely, I might just tell you who it is.
Camilla Zajac, Green Light Copywriting, April 2011
Written by Camilla Zajac
Camilla Zajac is an award-winning copywriter dedicated to uncovering what’s exciting and unique about organisations and empowering them to communicate that with impact. Learn more about copywriting services from Green Light Copywriting.
