What Does Hair Have to Do with Dental Floss?
Truth in Copywriting – in a Glass of Water
As another morning rises over my coffee cup, I find myself tangled in thoughts:
What is copywriting, really?
What makes a good copywriter?
And what, for heaven’s sake, is truth?
Writing ads on demand, with pre-defined elements and deadlines, suffocates creativity faster than a bad cup of coffee on a Monday.
And without creativity, it’s hard to find joy in the process.
Without your own story – one that leads us into a parallel world, spiced with humor, wit, or simply a different perspective – an ad sounds dry. Lifeless. Already seen.
Let’s say we’re writing an ad for shampoo.
The kind that turns hair into 100% fragrant silk, makes it easier to comb, adds volume, and protects from the sun and drying.
Of course, kids can use it too.
A perfect product – natural, with nettle and argan oil, activated when you dry your hair in warm air.
Maybe we imagine a woman running through the rain from work, storm on her head, rushing home and coming out of the bathroom with red-carpet-ready hair.
Or maybe we’re… a little cheeky.
Let’s imagine the same woman, at a business lunch. She looks flawless.
But mid-conversation she realizes she has no dental floss.
She runs to the restroom, looks in the mirror, sighs – and pulls out a strand of her perfect hair. Voilà – an improvised floss.
In the first story, you might recognize your own needs.
In the second, you might laugh. Or cringe. Or ask yourself: why on Earth do I still buy floss?
And which of these is the true story?
Which one matters?
Just like a glass of water – it may be half full or half empty.
What’s certain is only one thing:
There is water in it.
And everything else… depends on what you’re ready to see.