Brochure copywriting - BT
BT were launching a new advertising campaign built around the key message that 'the more connections we make, the more possibilities we have'.
But how to reinforce that message in print? How, particularly, to make it meaningful for the large BT constituency that wasn't yet online?
More connections...
They say the world is getting smaller every day. But how can that be true when we can now connect with more people in more ways than our parents could ever have believed, or our grandparents probably even imagined?
The more connections we make, the more possibilities we have. Whether with a telephone, mobile or the Internet, you can find out about everything under the sun, anytime, wherever you happen to be. The possibilities are literally infinite.
This is, as Louis Armstrong once sang, 'a wonderful world'. And we only get the one go in it - this is not, as they say, a rehearsal. So here are a few connections people are making, and some of the possibilities they're discovering.
They could help you make your world bigger, better, and more full of possibilities than ever before.
"What's this thing called, this groove under my nose?"
When you need to find out something obscure, no other medium even begins to compare with the Internet. But it really helps if you know how to look, so here are a few pointers.
First, find your search engine: go online, open up your browser (Internet Explorer or Netscape, probably) and go, eg, to www.google.com. Then all you have to do is type in
Groove under nose
And click on search. Seconds later, you'll be looking at a list of links to sites which feature whatever it is you were searching for.
Sometimes you won't even have to visit any of the sites, because even the brief description will include the answer you are looking for. At the time of publishing this account, eg, the short description for one of the links suggested by Google includes:
Philtrum, -- The small indentation, or groove,
under the nose and above the lips. Mollycoddle, ...
So now you know - it's called the philtrum.
Sometimes, though, the answer will not be shown directly. But by reading the brief descriptions, it should be easy to identify likely candidates. Then all you have to do is click on the links to visit the relevant sites.
If when you get to a site it doesn't have the information you need, you can easily go back to your search engine page by simply clicking on the 'back' button on your browser (usually the one in the top left corner of your screen).
The fact is, once you're on the Internet, you can use a search engine to find out almost anything, from the name of the currency in Zaire (a Zaire, strangely enough) to the winner of the FA Cup in 1936 (Arsenal) to a recipe for steak tartar with quail's eggs - too long to list here, but easy enough to visit at www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/
Please note that BT is not responsible for content on any sites other than BT sites.
"Where can I get support from people 'who've been there'?"
To say that being a new mum is tiring is a bit like saying the Atlantic ocean is wet. But almost worse than the sheer fatigue, according to many mums, can be the feelings of isolation and, worse, the guilt of feeling inadequate through ignorance.
Why won't he eat? Why won't she sleep? Why can't she see water without trying to jump in, and how can I get him to understand that not all dogs are friendly?
Help is available. Advice is there for the asking. All you have to know is where to look.
Childline, for one example, has a website at www.childline.org.uk/, with loads of useful information and factsheets on issues like dealing with bereavement, bullying and eating problems - but you can also reach them by phoning free on 0800 1111. Or you could ring the Meet a Mum Association's Helpline on 0208 768 0123 to be given details of support groups in your area.
Many commercial sites offer information resources (try www.wellbeing.com/info_advice/baby.jsp or www.mothercare.com) and many also offer bulletin boards and chat facilities where you can post messages to get replies from other mums, or even 'chat' using your keyboard to type in messages, getting responses 'in real time' from mothers anywhere in the country - or even from around the world.
Or you can go to 'lifestyle' sites like http://home.about.com/ with more resources than you're ever likely to need, including, eg, tips on living with a 2 year old or how to prepare your child for daycare.
These kinds of resources aren't of course restricted only to parents. Whatever you're into - whether it's motoring, Mozart or Mozambique - the amount and quality of information and support that's readily available - right now, and totally free - is enough to make your life richer, easier and more fun than it could otherwise ever be.
In these days when few of us still have Granny living around the corner, to say: 'oh, don't worry about that - it's just a rash; be gone by morning', it's good to know that we can get help from someone who knows, on pretty much any subject, 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
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