Happy as a tree in a Bob Ross painting

The largest part of the brain is the visual cortex, which is the part that processes visual information. Before the dawn of language some 3700 years ago, human communication was largely pictorial. It’s no surprise then that our brains have evolved to favour pictures over words.

In fact, research suggests words are processed approx. 60,000 times slower than images and 90% of info transmitted to the brain is visual. 90%!!

You might be wondering where I’m going with this. Yeahh, er Roxy you’re a copywriter, you’re hardly selling yourself if your words are at best 10% effective.

Bare with me folks.

Pairing words with associative images is the most powerful way to make a memory permanent.

You remember learning the alphabet as a kid with colourful picture books and animal posters? Well, there’s good reason for that.

Pairing words with associative images is the most powerful way to make a memory permanent.

It all links back to synaesthesia which is the linking of the senses to facilitate learning as a child (some adults retain these links - something I’ll be writing more about in a post on my experience of grapheme synaesthesia soon)

The bottom line is, if you want effective advertising, pair a strong visual with a punchy caption and voila.

Now I’m gonna break from business to get personal in what I think is a great everyday example of the associative power of imagery and words. You can tune out there if you like.

I’m lucky enough to live close to a beautiful park where I can quite literally see the seasons turning. I never tire of it. Yesterday morning the fog was high above the ground, curling its cat-like fade around every branch and tree, softening the world like an old painting. So I hit the road early and - between brainstorming on copy ideas for a craft beer - took a series of photos. Because, why not?

Fog has this mesmerising way of making ominous meet enchanting. Walking through it makes me feel like I’m in the ghostly remnants of a Brother’s Grimm fairytale (y’know, without all the heinous parts)

It also brings to mind the lyrics to a song my husband introduced me to; ‘Changes’ by the late Phil Ochs. His lyrics capture that humbling, unstoppable nature of time and the nostalgia of youth that digs at your core as each year rolls by. I know I know, I’m still only 30 so I haven’t felt the full strength of it yet. It’s a stunning song though and the use of figurative language is something else. If you're a lover of words I recommend reading them. I’ll leave them below the photos.

So there we have it. A simple walk evoking countless associations. Now imagine if one of those associations was your brand. Powerful, right?

Why not flick through the photos I took and see what they conjure for you? It might surprise you.

Remember: Use your words to paint a sharp picture. Then pair them with strong visuals to make them truly memorable.

Oh, and who else is with me on the Bob Ross front? Seriously, if he was still alive I’d want him to be my therapist. His voice is a soothe-your-soul godsend and he makes all those happy little trees look like they just rooted right onto the canvas for him.

Phil Ochs - Changes

Sit by my side, come as close as the air,
Share in a memory of gray;
Wander in my words, dream about the pictures
That I play of changes.

Green leaves of summer turn red in the fall
To brown and to yellow they fade.
And then they have to die, trapped within
the circle time parade of changes.

Scenes of my young years were warm in my mind,
Visions of shadows that shine.
Til one day I returned and found they were the
Victims of the vines of changes.

The world's spinning madly, it drifts in the dark
Swings through a hollow of haze,
A race around the stars, a journey through
The universe ablaze with changes.

Moments of magic will glow in the night
All fears of the forest are gone
But when the morning breaks they're swept away by
golden drops of dawn, of changes.

Passions will part to a strange melody.
As fires will sometimes burn cold.
Like petals in the wind, we're puppets to the silver
strings of souls, of changes.

Your tears will be trembling, now we're somewhere else,
One last cup of wine we will pour
And I'll kiss you one more time, and leave you on
the rolling river shores of changes.