It takes a lot of effort to make things seem effortless.

“Daag Acche Hain” doesn’t sound like a typical tagline; it doesn’t have a subliminal brand voice; it has a loving voice you hear when someone washes your clothes; they say it for themselves and for you. Because it’s an actual conversation, it works so well.

The best tags have this innate quality. They don’t sound baked in a creative agency; someone might have said it at the right moment without thinking too much. Natural and organic are buzzwords we love to use to show ease, but that ease comes with hard work.

The Paradox at the Centre of Copywriting

Less is more has never been truer than with copy. A tagline goes through briefs, rounds of discussion, approvals and disapprovals, checks and tests, so that by the time it is plastered somewhere, each word reflects each team member’s thought.

But it shouldn’t portray that; it should portray the sense of an epiphany. The paradox and work lie in hiding the effort; for some reason, hard work shows. When a writer is pulling his hair trying to write something just clever enough, it shows.

As Don Draper from Mad Men eloquently puts it, “Think about it deeply and then forget about it. And then an idea will jump in your face.”

Good writing hides the work behind it.

What “Accidental” Actually Requires

The adage that editing and rewriting are the truest form of writing may be trite, but it holds weight.

“Daag Achhe Hain” will start with a stretched-out version that explains what a stain means to a child enjoying their childhood and how it portrays a child living their life to the fullest. This idea was communicated concisely in three words, leaving the rest to the audience’s imagination.

The same skill is evident in ‘Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai’. Simply mentioning the paint, colour, or decor suggests that every home has its own unique story, and it places the onus of the brand connection on the brand. The best ideas are built around the customer’s imagination, because once the brand is in their mind, an ad can run all day.

Why This Is Harder Than It Looks

Writing something with the intention of making it seem unwritten goes against everything writers are taught to do: be clever, stick to the brief, show your thinking on the page.

Copy that relies too heavily on clever wordplay seems forced; rather than the brand, it draws attention to the tagline and the writer. Taglines that are embedded into people’s minds seem simple at first, but with each look, the layers are pulled back. This is exactly why a simple translation doesn’t work for most taglines: all the context and subtext are lost in translation.

The Test That Actually Matters

Usually the focus stays on whether the line fits the brand strategy, which is important, but if someone who doesn’t know anything about the brand says it naturally, it captures a niche in the market that is market-trend-proof.

If a tagline needs to be explained further, then it’s just copy. The true testament to storytelling is seen when it can be said out of context, like at a dinner table with no mention of the brand or product. That turns plain copy into a brand’s language.

Final Word

Simply sounding smart in a pitch meeting isn’t an indicator of a good idea.

The real skill is making the writing disappear. If you can still see the writer’s hand, the work isn’t finished yet.

Once a piece of writing is referenced enough times in everyday conversations, it becomes a part of the cultural zeitgeist.