Violent imagery in copy: Harmless, mildly offensive or morally abhorent?
- She annihilated that challenge. She crushed it!
- Here's how to write killer headlines.
- Learn how to stick a knife into the guts of your competition.
- Make sure you know how to write a kick-ass blog post.
Sentences like those above use violent metaphors. Should we all do likewise, or is there some hidden cost to this very common practice?
PRO: Such language is edgy, intense, active, attention-getting, punchy (to use another somewhat violent adjective).
CON: With constant use, words like "killer" lose their impact, yet in a subtle way they also desensitize us to real-life bloodshed and brutality.
What do you think? And why?
Marcia Yudkin
Aspiring copywriters: if you need 1:1 advice from an experienced copy chief, head over to my Phone a Friend page.
- Puya (23 years old)