Advertising writers who believe that they're selling a product will always only do that. Except advertising writers have a job, just a little bit greater than that. For those who wrote a commercial, a headline, a tag line to sell product X, just did not love product X enough. Because it is not about enforcing a way of life onto someone, it's about sharing. Sharing - yes, that thing from the yore that we all seem to have forgotten. It is that excitement of stumbling upon the wonderfulness of product X that you want to tell the world about. You want them to try it, to share your experience and validate the wonderfulness of product X. If you haven't raised product X to that level, you haven't done your job. If you haven't shared with the consumer your unique story about product X then you haven't done your job.
For everyone who believes that the job of an advertising writer is the same job as that of a salesman, they did not understand why the creative department was ever called so. It is not any kind of idealism preaching. I am not speaking about meditating to let your creative juices flow, so you can create a divine piece of art solely understandable by you and entirely for your personal satisfaction. It's about how well you tell your story, how well you share, how much you love product X, how much you care about the consumer and how well you express that to them. Because if you started with the agenda to sell it, then you asked them to buy it. Though they can tell when you're doing that. They don't need to be told. And they don't need to be told if product x is great or that it will give them a third eye. They won't care.
But would they care, if it was about you, who is very much like them, and told them what happened to you when you tried product X? If you made an honest appeal, if you just whispered into their ears, your little story, it would be enough and more than the shout of the salesman. So for everyone else who believed they got a sales job when they were hired as a copywriter, should just setup shop at the cash counter of the nearest departmental store. I know, many great men said, it's about selling a product. But I am sorry I don't completely agree and I know you probably don't understand me either. And that's why I will never be an advertising writer again.
