Ciao, mio amico! Being in a completely different country and culture is the perfect opportunity to see copywriting in a whole new way.

Italians have different values and mindsets from Americans, and this has a huge impact on how they advertise. When Pledge was first advertised in Italy as being an easy fix to cleaning one’s home, the product had terrible sales. Unlike us lazy Americans, Italian women want people to think they work hard to clean their homes, and so using a “shortcut” product like Pledge undermines their efforts. This shift in thinking showcases one of the difficulties of advertising in multiple countries and cultures; one must truly understand each culture they are writing to.

And yet, brands like Coca-Cola advertise all over the world without issue. How? They use universal desires like happiness and joy to market their product, and people can connect to that idea across the world. No matter what language you speak, you can understand the smile on a girl’s face as she takes a sip of Coke. Other brands like Pledge have a narrower focus. Some products might be complete societal abnormalities, or worse, cultural taboos. Trying to advertise a bidet in America would be as fruitless as trying to make us switch to the metric system. We’re accustomed to the systems we’ve used for centuries, and at this point, it would be quite a challenge to make us change our ways. Similarly, other cultures may be just as resistant to change. However, I wouldn’t call it completely impossible; you never know what new trend the world will get caught up in next.

Although I’ll spend most of my time oohing and ahhing over the beautiful sights of Italy, I’ll definitely keep my eyes peeled for Italian ads while I’m there to see copywriting in a whole new light.

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Tabitha Butler

There is unbelievable power in your words, so use your powers wisely. If you need a little help, you can reach me at tabithabutler27@gmail.com.

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