Copywriting in a Comedy Shell
If you've never heard of the comedian John Oliver, you might be in for a treat... He has a hard-hitting, Monty Python-esque style that's sorely needed right now.
His "Net Neutrality" sketch hits out of the park for me. It could have been scripted by a copywriter- Speak to the audience as a single person, lay it out in plain English, build rapport, stoke the emotions, offer proof, seal it off with a strong call to action.
Reading between the comedy:
- Describes Garden of Eden- Reminds us how amazing the internet is, so we know what we stand to lose if the villain wins. Message: We're talking about your loved ones, so listen up!
- Blames the corporations and talking heads for the unawareness. Message: "It's not your fault for being ignorant- They made it indigestible and boring to KEEP you ignorant, all the way down to the name 'Net Neutrality' (Poor Headline)"
- Paints a grisly picture of the villain- The cable companies and their cronies. Message: The wolf is grinning and drooling, about to pounce on your beloved internet. References to mob shakedowns for addded emphasis.
- Kills suspicion of bias- People and corporations are both fighting it. Message: This is bigger than left-right partisan politics.
- Stokes fear- "Your leaders have abandoned you"- The companies have Washington in their pocket. Your leaders won't protect you. Message: You must unite and act, rather than letting this sort itself out.
-Offers Proof- Shows low survey popularity ratings for cable companies, shows the crony nepotism, uses their own footage against them
- Rebrands the terms- Substitutes "Net Neutrality" for the vivid "Preventing Cable Co. F%$#ery". He has already hollowed out the term, and now he can push it over with a gentle shove. Message: Only powerful language provokes a powerful response.
- Call to Action- He directly mocks and calls out internet trolls to comment on the FCC site . Good idea? Well, it worked. The traffic from incoming commenters took the site down for a while.
This was more than a comedy bit to me- This was a big direct response campaign. It illustrates the power of words to make even a boring issue compelling.
Enjoy:
His "Net Neutrality" sketch hits out of the park for me. It could have been scripted by a copywriter- Speak to the audience as a single person, lay it out in plain English, build rapport, stoke the emotions, offer proof, seal it off with a strong call to action.
Reading between the comedy:
- Describes Garden of Eden- Reminds us how amazing the internet is, so we know what we stand to lose if the villain wins. Message: We're talking about your loved ones, so listen up!
- Blames the corporations and talking heads for the unawareness. Message: "It's not your fault for being ignorant- They made it indigestible and boring to KEEP you ignorant, all the way down to the name 'Net Neutrality' (Poor Headline)"
- Paints a grisly picture of the villain- The cable companies and their cronies. Message: The wolf is grinning and drooling, about to pounce on your beloved internet. References to mob shakedowns for addded emphasis.
- Kills suspicion of bias- People and corporations are both fighting it. Message: This is bigger than left-right partisan politics.
- Stokes fear- "Your leaders have abandoned you"- The companies have Washington in their pocket. Your leaders won't protect you. Message: You must unite and act, rather than letting this sort itself out.
-Offers Proof- Shows low survey popularity ratings for cable companies, shows the crony nepotism, uses their own footage against them
- Rebrands the terms- Substitutes "Net Neutrality" for the vivid "Preventing Cable Co. F%$#ery". He has already hollowed out the term, and now he can push it over with a gentle shove. Message: Only powerful language provokes a powerful response.
- Call to Action- He directly mocks and calls out internet trolls to comment on the FCC site . Good idea? Well, it worked. The traffic from incoming commenters took the site down for a while.
This was more than a comedy bit to me- This was a big direct response campaign. It illustrates the power of words to make even a boring issue compelling.
Enjoy:
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