Pure B.S. or Great Copy?
June 30th, 2008 by Bob Bly
Critics often accuse direct marketing copywriters of hype and puffery, but I think the real B.S. artists in marketing today are wine and beer writers.
Listen to this description of Route Des Epices beer from the Beer of the Month Club newsletter (vol. 14, no. 12):
“On the nose, you can’t miss the influence of black and green peppercorns. Behind the peppercorn is a mild citrusy character with a caramel backbone, a touch of spruce and almonds, and some floral hop tones. Look for an emergence of tequila-like notes amidst a subtle floral character, notes of coriander, subtle apricot tones, and a woody spruce-like component.”
In the same issue, another beer, Rosee D’Hibiscus,” is said to have “notes of under ripened peaches, coriander, and pomegranate.”
Talk about piling it on high and deep. I drank a bottle of each, and they both tasted like beer.
Why do people rabidly attack direct marketing as hype-filled and sleazy, but ooh and ah and nod their heads in wonder at the writer’s sophistication when they read B.S. like the above beer reviews?
This entry was posted on Monday, June 30th, 2008 at 7:36 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
July 1st, 2008 at 9:24 am
Maybe it is because most ads (especially those by beer companies) are expected to contain at least a modicum of entertainment. Actually, I think they’re expected to be branded entertainment, not entertaining ads.
Conversely (or is it inversely… I get those mixed up), direct mail is hardly ever viewed as entertainment. It is perceived as more purely an advertisement.
Bottom line: We expect B.S. in entertainment (willful suspension of disbelief). We expect truth in advertising.
July 1st, 2008 at 10:52 am
(Not the same Dustin as above! Who knew there were two of us?)
Obviously the beer people are trying to position themselves as “upscale” by writing “reviews” that mimic Wine Spectator reviews. How am I going to get people to pay more for Beer X — I have to differentiate it somehow from Beers Y and Z, right?
I agree with the Other Dustin that these kinds of catalog are probably seen as a kind of entertainment — something to sit down and read through, which means there’s probably a little more patience, since we expect stories and elaborations in our entertainments. But, too, the target audience is desperately seeking sophistication, or they’d buy their beer at the supermarket or bodega. Seems like this catalog is creating a fantasy that the reader can sink into, in which they’re sophisticated — even though they drink beer.
And that’s the thing, isn’t it? Beer has an image problem if it wants to capture $12 a bottle (or whatever BOMC charges) because it’s seen as relentlessly working class stuff. WIne became popular in the US by positioning itself directly against working class beer in the ’80s and ’90s, targeting the Yuppie crowd’s desire to differentiate themselves from the masses. How, then, does beer do the same thing? It can’t very well oppose itself to beer, right?
July 1st, 2008 at 11:16 am
I got the Beer of the Month Club as a gift, and I have also given it as a gift. The beers are great but as you point out, Dustin, a lot of money per bottle. I think the newsletter adds value to the membership and even the beer itself by education members on what they are tasting. Unfortunately for me, it is mostly science fiction, as I can’t taste ANY of those complex flavor combinations they describe. I wonder if anyone reading this blog can discern plums, peaches, oak, chocolate, coriander in the like in either wine OR beer?
July 5th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
I’d like to see someone do a take off of Gary Vaynerchuk but with beer. This someone should carry a 24/7 unshaven look, wear a tradesman’s outfit and speak like he’d been living in a trailer park his whole life.
He’d say something like,
“WOWWW!! This stuff totally tastes like, uhhh, beer! Lets give it a swilly swilly and and a drinky winky shall we?”
No spitting into a pale though, they just skoll down the whole beer and get trashed on camera.
Hmm… sounds like fun!
July 6th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Okay, so I agree that the writing is over the top. And if I were to try those beers I probably wouldn’t be able to taste all those um “notes”. But coming from Portland (where we have more breweries than any other city, yes even Germany, believe it or not), I’m not at all surprised by this. Not all beers taste like the crap Budweiser, Miller and other beers that have national ad campaigns put out. I guess that makes me a bit of a beer snob. 🙂
July 9th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
It seems to me that many people who become involved in the wine and beer culture develop that air of “perceived sophistication” that supposedly sets them apart from the rest of us mere mortals.
Would those descriptions actually serve to sell more beer, or is the writer simply serving his ego with such a detailed account?
I imagine those late night infomercials (Kevin Trudeau, Don Lapre) do a lot to distort the public image of direct marketers. People generally see them as smooth talking snake oil salesmen…and often times the copy of a direct mail package is quite similar to that of the late night infomercial.
July 21st, 2008 at 4:45 pm
This one caught my eye, Bob, because I once had a job with duPont as a sensory panelist for their soy products–and as a panel, our taste buds had to be “trained” to differentiate all the flavors in soy isolate samples. YERGH. It took 6 months just to train us, and we had to not only come up with a lexicon of “flavors” that each sample contained, (it could be bitter, sweet, astringent, peppery, nutty, fruity–or have more complex flavors, such as a hint of wet wool) but we also had to quantify those results on a scale of 1 to 10 (and match each other to a degree that would be statistically measurable). Thank GOD for the chocolate treats afterwards!
I guess you could have called us “Sommeliers of Soy,” so the same could be said for beer experts–all it takes is training–but as a copywriter I wouldn’t use spit-cup terminology to describe that particular product, mainly because it doesn’t mean much to the market.
The majority of the beer market isn’t into “plummy” or “floral” tones, even if discerning taste buds can find them hidden in the hops somewhere…so I think you’re right–they’re missing the boat, and looking silly in the process.
December 9th, 2019 at 12:58 am
This the best way to Copywrite as in this article all about that very clearly described the details geek squad provide the best technical support for all kinds of technical fault if you are facing any issue you can visit us for more information
January 10th, 2020 at 8:53 am
Today, almost all of modern Europe eradicates the bad habit of smoking of cheap cigarettes in the UK bans in public places, which include almost all municipal and private institutions. Jobs, bars, restaurants, educational and health facilities, as well as public transport, have been inaccessible to smokers for several years. And today to buy cigarettes online in the UK you should visit one of such online shops.
In almost every EU country, smoking remains possible only in one’s own home or in specially designated places, which, by the way, are not many. Perhaps the Czech Republic remains the only one – the only state that still allows smoking in bars and restaurants.
February 6th, 2020 at 5:50 am
we have different types of support errors if get too many spoilers in the row.
June 5th, 2020 at 2:26 am
Thanks for the best post.
August 9th, 2020 at 10:48 am
We expect B.S. in entertainment (willful suspension of disbelief). We expect truth in advertising as Techgadgetry is providing Tech news.
December 14th, 2020 at 5:24 am
How To Install Philo TV on Amazon Firestick?
March 3rd, 2021 at 3:01 am
Launching your day with a glass of smoothie is the most ideal way. It takes under five minutes to make smoothies in a blender with portoblendreview.
March 8th, 2021 at 9:07 am
In the same issue, another beer, Rosee D’Hibiscus,” is said to have “notes of under ripened peaches, coriander, and pomegranate.”
May 28th, 2021 at 2:19 am
Very Well said “Critics often accuse direct marketing copywriters of hype and puffery, but I think the real B.S. artists in marketing today are wine and beer writers.”
June 12th, 2021 at 12:22 am
We all immduring the time of Confucius, when the breed was known as lo-sze. Imported to England in the 16th century, the breed quickly became a popular lap dog among the aristocracy. A Pug named Pompey is even credited with alerting Holland’s William I, Prince of Orange, to an assassination attempt by Spain. Over time, pugs have been the favored breed or both royals and celebrities—from Napoleon and Queen Victoria to Andy Warhol and Rob Zombie.
https://pugslandbreeder.company.com
December 31st, 2021 at 2:47 pm
I really like what you had to say here. I actually wrote a similar thing on [a href=https://chaz.com]our website[/a].
June 4th, 2022 at 1:43 am
Hello Everyone
https://khatari.in/ofilmywap-filmywap-2022-bollywood-movies-download/
https://khatari.in/mkvmoviespoint/
https://afilmy4wap.khatari.in/hdmovie2-com/
June 21st, 2022 at 3:46 am
Thank you for producing such a fascinating essay on this subject. This has sparked a lot of thought in me, and I’m looking forward to reading more
build now gg
August 5th, 2022 at 5:16 am
Kalpana Chawla ?? ????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ?? ???????? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ???? ????? ?? ??? ??????? ???????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ??, ??.??. 1982 ??? ????? ??????????? ????? ?? ?????????? ??????????? ???? ??????? ???? ?? … Kalpana Chawla Biography In Hindi
August 18th, 2022 at 3:30 am
Borjan offers its customers the best shoes for men in Pakistan. We have the highest quality mens shoes and leather shoes in Pakistan for great prices.
August 18th, 2022 at 3:57 am
Thank you for producing such a fascinating essay on this subject. This has sparked a lot of thought in me, and I’m looking forward to reading more. Retro Bowl
August 23rd, 2022 at 6:53 am
Oops lyrics – King : Get lyrics and music video of this beautiful song here on LyricsBell.com
October 21st, 2022 at 1:28 am
Get lyrics and music video of this beautiful song here on LyricsBell;????
December 13th, 2022 at 8:03 am
Great post, you have pointed out some fantastic points , I likewise think this s a very wonderful website.
December 26th, 2022 at 1:15 am
Positive site, where did u come up with the information on this posting?
December 26th, 2022 at 1:44 am
Excellent post. I am glad to share a brilliant ??????
December 26th, 2022 at 1:46 am
it’s something to reap with woman loopy! Your character stuffs splendid. ??????
December 26th, 2022 at 2:22 am
I really appreciate starting this up.???
December 26th, 2022 at 3:07 am
Do you need to make a few invite posts in this little blog?
December 26th, 2022 at 3:50 am
Good post. I learn something totally new and impressive on websites. ???????
December 26th, 2022 at 4:23 am
You will find ????
December 26th, 2022 at 5:08 am
You delivered such an excellent piece to study,
December 26th, 2022 at 5:33 am
it in my google bookmarks. ???
December 26th, 2022 at 5:35 am
This post gives truly quality information. . ?????
December 26th, 2022 at 6:20 am
after i in the beginning left?????
December 26th, 2022 at 6:34 am
! In the end i’ve found something that helped me.
December 26th, 2022 at 6:36 am
welldone ??????
December 26th, 2022 at 6:51 am
i sense i would be a good asset. ???????
December 26th, 2022 at 6:58 am
Extraordinary info! I ue to this hassle. ?????? ???
December 26th, 2022 at 7:12 am
, wager i’m able to just?????
December 26th, 2022 at 8:08 am
extremely good writing due to this hassle. ??? ???
December 26th, 2022 at 8:09 am
It’s a great and helpful piece of information. ?????
December 26th, 2022 at 8:55 am
articles continues the customers hobby in the website, and maintain on sharing extra … Precise luck . ?????
December 26th, 2022 at 9:34 am
Interesting post. I Have Been wondering about this issue, so thanks for posting. Pretty cool post.It ‘s really very nice and Useful post.Thanks . Informative Site… Hello guys here are some links that contains information that you may find useful yourselves. It’s Worth Checking out…. The post is good. The content explores Bringing up books. You can find a link along with the post, which will help you understand the books discussed in the post. If you are looking for books to read, you can visit the link so that you can get details of many books. The time that you spend to read books will always provide your good returns. ??????
December 26th, 2022 at 9:46 am
Such clever work and exposure! Keep up the very good works guys . ????
December 26th, 2022 at 10:00 am
We believe in ion to recruit an assignment writer effectively, with no problem or inconveniences. ??????
December 26th, 2022 at 10:36 am
thanks for it.” ?????
January 30th, 2023 at 11:03 am
Laaga chunri mein daag chhupaun kaise Laaga chunri mein daag Chunri mein daag chhupaun kaise Ghar jaaun kaise Laaga chunri mein daag chhupaun kaise Laaga chunri mein daag Ho gayi maili mori chunariya Kore badan si kori chunariya Ho gayi maili mori chunariya Kore badan si kori chunariya Haan jaake baabul se nazrein milaun kaise Ghar jaaun kaise Laaga chunri mein daag chhupaun kaise Laaga chunri mein daag Bhool gayi sab vachan vida ke Kho gayi main sasuraal mein aake Bhool gayi sab vachan vida ke Kho gayi main sasuraal mein aake Haan jaake babul se nazrein milaun kaise. Laaga Chunri Mein Daag Lyrics from Dil Hi To Hai is Hindi song sung by Manna Dey and music is given by Roshan. Laaga Chunri Mein Daag song lyrics are written by Sahir Ludhianvi.
February 22nd, 2023 at 3:04 pm
Asha Bhosle Songs Lyrics – Get lyrics of all latest songs sung, composed or written by Asha Bhosle on LyricsOff.com Lyrics of Songs by Asha Bhosle : Get lyrics of all latest songs sung, composed or written by Asha Bhosle on LyricsOff.com
March 10th, 2023 at 5:00 am
Your blog is a breath of fresh air in a sea of generic content. I appreciate your unique perspective and the valuable insights you provide. Also, I am sharing an article link based on Click Speed Test . Your click speed is impressive! You must have been practicing a lot to achieve such a high level of speed and accuracy.