Thursday, January 29, 2004
There are times when working as an advertising copywriter can be especially challenging. I'm not talking about those last-minute requests for major corporate taglines ("Quick - sum up Kleenex in five words or less!")... I'm talking about working on a project for a company or product that you don't quite believe in. And for you who've never worked as a copywriter, I'm not saying that the hard part is compromising your integrity. No... the hard part is clearing your mind of all the fantastic subversive taglines and ad copy that sneak in when you're trying to think of something they'll pay you for.
Today, this happened to me on a project I'm not even working on. I was just talking to a friend and suddenly started wondering how hard it must be to dream up ad copy for Mel Gibson's latest blockbuster - The Passion of the Christ.
You've probably heard of it... it's the HIGHLY controversial depiction of the end of Jesus' life, written, directed and produced by Mel Gibson and presented in the original language of Jesus' time - Aramaic. Fundamentalist church groups love it; Jewish leaders are up in arms about it, because apparently Mel was raised with the idea that the Jews were responsible for killing Christ.
I watched the trailer and wasn't surprised to see a minimum of copy... just this: "The Power. The Hope. The Grace. The Passion of the Christ" (the Christ?).
But I can just imagine what that poor trailer writer was thinking when he was handed the assignment. What do you say that isn't incredibly offensive?! My answer? Nothing... so why not try to be as offensive as possible.
So without any further ado, here's my take on the copy for The Passion of the Christ:
From Mel Gibson, Academy Award-winning director of Braveheart
In a world of greed and corruption,
Only one man had the will to fight for those who could not fight themselves
A king of kings, sent down to unite
And make the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good
Starring The Matrix's Monica Bellucci
And Jim "JC" Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth
The passion is back!
With a death brought to life like never before
It's The Power
It's The Hope
It's The Passion of the Christ
**Presented in the original Aramaic with subtitles**
Bring the whole family!
All I can say is, everything old is new again...
Today, this happened to me on a project I'm not even working on. I was just talking to a friend and suddenly started wondering how hard it must be to dream up ad copy for Mel Gibson's latest blockbuster - The Passion of the Christ.
You've probably heard of it... it's the HIGHLY controversial depiction of the end of Jesus' life, written, directed and produced by Mel Gibson and presented in the original language of Jesus' time - Aramaic. Fundamentalist church groups love it; Jewish leaders are up in arms about it, because apparently Mel was raised with the idea that the Jews were responsible for killing Christ.
I watched the trailer and wasn't surprised to see a minimum of copy... just this: "The Power. The Hope. The Grace. The Passion of the Christ" (the Christ?).
But I can just imagine what that poor trailer writer was thinking when he was handed the assignment. What do you say that isn't incredibly offensive?! My answer? Nothing... so why not try to be as offensive as possible.
So without any further ado, here's my take on the copy for The Passion of the Christ:
From Mel Gibson, Academy Award-winning director of Braveheart
In a world of greed and corruption,
Only one man had the will to fight for those who could not fight themselves
A king of kings, sent down to unite
And make the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good
Starring The Matrix's Monica Bellucci
And Jim "JC" Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth
The passion is back!
With a death brought to life like never before
It's The Power
It's The Hope
It's The Passion of the Christ
**Presented in the original Aramaic with subtitles**
Bring the whole family!
All I can say is, everything old is new again...
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