1. Why puns? Take for instance a
print ad. The most important
element of it is the headline
Its primary function is to communicate
key selling points to customers in a manner
that attracts attention and stimulates them to
buy the product.
A number of different headline
factors affect the impact on memory:
–the number of words
–psycholinguistic characteristics
–and the use of rhetorical resonance

2. Psycholinguistics
Psycholinguistic characteristics
have to do with emotive factors—
• Image-inducing words
• Humor
• Play on words making the ad or
slogan memorable

3. Rhetorical Resonance
• An echoing or doubledness of meaning—
among two verbal elements, or a visual and a
verbal element (headline-graphic linkage).
More senses mean more memory cohesion.
• Echoing implies that two elements are
arranged to give new meaning to each
separate element.
• Puns and other similar plays on words are
believed to be the most common rhetorical
tools for creating resonance.

4. Keep it short…and catchy
• Starch maintains a catchy headline
"should be short, euphonious, rhythmical,
alliterative"
• Wells, Burnett and Moriarty note that "an
unexpected idea can be one with a twist,
an unexpected association, or catchy
phrasing"

5. Tropes as Word Play
• Word play in ads invites reader interaction and a
demonstration of knowledge, cultivating a feeling
of being part of an “in group.”
• Tropes are processed more deeply because
they rely on nonliteral meanings of words.
Viewers must assign a meaning different from
the literal, which necessitates deeper
processing.
• Deeper processing results in more favorable
brand attitudes, retention and recall, and
purchase intentions among readers.

6. Reader Involvement
• Word play is also effective
because highly involved
audiences are more likely to invest
the cognitive energy necessary to
understand the message.

7. Good headlines avoid…
• formula-written
"adese"
• clichés
• superlatives
• stock phrases
• vague generalities
• abstract concepts too
complex to decipher

8. Types of Word Play
• striking slogans or headlines
• puns and other word play
• creative spellings
• coinages
• unusual syntax
• modified clichés (but not clichés)
• unusual choice of vocabulary

9. Word Play
• Allusion: references to famous people, places, or
myths
• Antanaclasis: use of a word as both noun and
verb (Our frequent fliers can frequent other fliers.
What becomes a legend most?)
• Paronomasia: Use of homonyms (If you want to
get read, get red. Or, Some like it haute.)
• Periphrasis: Substitution of a generic noun with
a proper noun (Packs like luggage. Carries like
luggage. Cleans like a Hoover.)

10. Word Play
• Antithesis: Juxtaposing contrasting ideas in
parallel structure (Sundown vs. sun dammage.)
• Climax: You’re in trouble. You’ve had an
accident. You need a lawyer.
• Alliteration: Repeated repetition of beginning
consonant.
• Anaphora: Repetition of beginning word in
sentence. (We will fight on land. We will fight on
the sea. We will fight in the air.)

11. Not only memorable, but catchy
• If it is successful, ideally
the line should pass readily
into common parlance as
would a catchphrase, such
as “Where's the beef?”
(Wendy’s) or “Whassup?”
(Budweiser)

12. Alliteration
• Jaguar: Don't dream it. Drive it.
• Fila: Functional... Fashionable...
Formidable...

13. Coinage
Using made-up words...
• Amoy: Chineasy.
• Burton Menswear: Everywear.
• Gordon's & Tonic:
Innervigoration.
• Neff: Nefficiency.
• KP Peanuts: Pure snacking.
Pure snacktivity.

14. Puns
• Moss Security: Alarmed? You should be.
• Wyborowa Vodka: Enjoyed for centuries
straight.
• Weight Watchers Frozen Meals: Taste. Not
waist.
• Northern Telecom: Technology the world
calls on.
• Lea & Perrins: The Worcester Saucerer.
• Bendix Appliances: We'll do the homework.

15. Puns
• Flowers Fine Ales:Always pick Flowers.
• First National Bank of Chicago:First
relationships last.
• Kenco Really Rich Coffee:Get Rich quick.
• Kodak Gold:Is your film as good as Gold?
• Ritz Crackers:Nothing fitz like a Ritz.
• John Deere Tractors:Nothing runs like a Deere
• Deodorant:You just can't help acting on
Impulse.

16. The Brand as Pun
• Absolut Vodka: Absolut magic.
• Citibank: Because the Citi never sleeps.
• Frosted Chex: Chexellent
• Cutty Sark Whisky: Live a Cutty above.
• Comet Electrical Stores: Lowering prices
forever, that's Comet sense.
• Cadbury's Wispa Candy: You can't keep
quiet about a Wispa

17. Rhymes
• City Link: City Linking, smart thinking
• Haig Scotch: Don't be vague. Ask for
Haig.
• London Sunday Mail: A newspaper, not
a snoozepaper.
• Zanussi: The appliance of science.
• Timex watch: Takes a licking and keeps
on ticking.
• British Rail: Let the train take the strain.

18. Plant the Key Benefit
Since the tagline is the leave-behind, the
takeaway, surely the opportunity to implant a key
benefit should not be missed?
• Brooks Hats: If you want to get ahead,
get a hat.
• Polaroid:The fun develops instantly.
• Weight Watchers: Taste. Not waist.
• Adjustamatic Beds: For the rest of your life.
• Philips: The best way to get music out of your
system
.

19. A Slogan Should Be Unique
One of the most overused lines is “simply
the best”:
• American Legend: Simply the best.
• Amiga: Simply the best.
• Aspen: Simply the best.
• Nissan: Simply the best.
• True Digital: Simply the best.
• Woolacombe Hotels: Simply the best.

20. The Idea Morgue
A COPYWRITER DIES, and Saint Peter offers him a choice of Heaven or
Hell. The writer asks to see both. Leading him to a doorway, Saint
Peter says: "Here in Hell, we have a room just for copywriters." Inside,
the writer sees row upon row of faceless hacks, all scribbling
frantically as giant red devils lay into them with heavy whips.
"The meeting's in five minutes! The meeting's in five minutes" the devils
scream.
"Uh ... better show me Heaven," the writer says. So up they go.
"Here in Heaven, we also have a room for copywriters," Saint Peter says.
Peering into the second room, the writer again sees row upon row of
faceless hacks, all scribbling frantically as giant red devils lay into
them with heavy whips.
"The meeting's in five minutes! The meeting's in five minutes" the devils
scream.
The copywriter protests, "But I thought you said this was Heaven!"
St. Peter says, "Well, up here, the work gets produced."