Copywriting for screens: fewer words, clearer offers

DOOH copywriting is the craft of writing words for digital out-of-home screens, where people glance rather than read. On a screen at the counter, that glance might be a second or two. The copy that works is short, concrete and built around one idea. Anything more gets skipped.

It's the same discipline that billboard writers have practiced for generations. The difference is that the shopper is standing a few feet from the product.

How many words should a screen ad use?

Fewer than you think. There's no magic number, but most strong screen ads get the main message across in a handful of words, with a brand name and perhaps one supporting line.

A useful exercise: write the message, then cut it in half. Then cut it again. What's left is usually closer to what the shopper can take in. "Try the new mango flavor, now available in the cooler at this store" becomes "New mango. In the cooler."

The tradition of billboard copywriting is a good teacher. Billboards have always been read at speed, and the best ones say one thing clearly.

Why one offer per frame?

Because two offers compete. A frame that says "New flavor, two for one, plus a chance to win" asks the shopper to process three ideas in a glance. Most will take in none of them.

Pick the offer that matters most to the objective. If the goal is trial of a new item, the message is about the new item. If there's a price promotion, the message is the price. Secondary information can go on a second frame or be left out.

It also makes measurement cleaner. When a frame carries one offer, it's easier to see whether that offer moved sales.

What word choices work best?

Concrete ones. "Cold," "new," "here," and a clear price or product name tell the shopper something they can act on. Abstract brand language, such as taglines about lifestyle or values, rarely registers at the counter.

Plain ones. Short, common words are faster to read. Avoid jargon and clever wordplay that needs a second look. On a screen seen for a moment, a pun that takes two seconds to get is a pun nobody gets.

Accurate ones. Every claim should be true in the stores where the ad runs. If the offer applies only in some stores, the copy should run only there. The same care that applies across out-of-home advertising applies here, with the added pressure that the shopper can check the shelf immediately.

How should copy and design work together?

Size and contrast first. The main line should be the largest text on the screen, with strong contrast against the background. If the shopper reads only one thing, it should be that.

Hierarchy second. Product name or offer, then the pack shot, then the brand, then any supporting line. Each element should have a clear place, and nothing should compete with the main message.

Space third. Empty space around the copy makes it easier to read. Crowding the frame with logos, legal lines and decorative elements makes everything harder to see. Check the creative specs page for safe areas and file requirements.

How do you test whether a line reads?

The glance test. Show the frame to someone for a second or two, then take it away. Ask what it said. If they can't tell you the product and the main message, the copy is too long or the design too busy.

Test at size. View the creative at the size it will appear, from the distance a shopper would stand. A line that reads well on a large monitor can disappear on a smaller screen.

And test with fresh eyes. The team that wrote the copy knows what it says. Someone who hasn't seen it is a better judge of whether it reads. More about the network is on the NRS Digital Media site.