This week, YOU, , are joining 1000+ people who’ll get this 131st edition in their inbox today.

It’s called the 1-2-3 copywriting newsletter, where every week you’ll get:

1 Copywriting Tip

2 Examples

3 Tactics on how to use it for your business.

Best part? You’ll get all the good stuff by investing less than 5 minutes weekly.

Have you ever seen such a win-win situation? Me neither.

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1 Copywriting Tip

Tip: Tell the Ugly Truth

In today's newsletter, I'm covering a campaign after a long time. 

I didn't go looking for this one. I did not have to dive deep. I did not have to scrape the corners of the internet for something remarkable.

Instead, it came to me.

The best of the best, Good Ads Matter's LinkedIn post popped up in my feed and it led me to discovering the latest campaign from Colgate.

I saw the ad 5 days ago and immediately decided that I'm gonna write about it because it made smile.

Here are 3 reasons why:

1. The ad shows radical honesty. In an industry that's plagued with perfect imagery and aspirational messaging, this felt rather real.

Because it was not trying to hide the negatives.

2. Colgate had the balls to acknowledge an uncomfortable truth of parenting by showing realistic visuals. Over 66% millennial parents want brands to realistically portray parenting challenges rather than being aspirational.

This one did that perfectly.

3. The tagline is spot on. The repetition is good for memorability but is simple and crystal clear too. 

In a way it metaphorically highlights how you have to get through the bad parts to get to the good ones.

And the result? Over 1.2M impressions in 24 hours and +65% brand recall.

Here's something I always say: Good copywriting is just the truth presented in an interesting way.

Brownie points if the truth is chaotic and messy and you still choose to show it with tenderness, heart and soul.

Now onto the two campaign ads...

2 Examples

1. Colgate Campaign Ad 1

This one shows a night time routine, reinforcing the fact that the routine might not be pleasant but the results will be. 

2. Colgate Campaign Ad 2

The treatment is not subtle and that’s the best part. No high production. No big and shiny smiles. No fakeness. It remains true to its core with a subtle tone.

3 Tactics for You

1. Create "Anti-Social Media" Visuals

Ugly ads are in. The kind that looks real, rooted and raw. A mark of a good ad is that it shouldn't feel like one...

And visuals go a long way to help you do that.

2. Identify Your Category's "Dirty Secret"

Every product category has truths that all brands avoid discussing. Toothpaste brands never showed crying children during brushing time—until Colgate did.

List the five things your competitors pretend don't exist about your product category.

3. Replace Aspiration with Transitional

Instead of showing end results, show the messy middle. The campaign suggests good outcomes require working through difficult phases.

Show "before the before" that other brands skip.

Well, that’s all I have for you today 🤝

What do you think about telling the ugly truth and today’s newsletter?

Hit reply & let me know your thoughts, !

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Cheers :)

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