How to Remarkably Break the Fourth Wall in Copywriting
By: Alamiin Si
Tags: Advertising, Copywriter, Branding, Marketing, Copywriting

How to Remarkably Break the Fourth Wall in Copywriting

Photo by Zen Chung

Breaking the fourth wall in copywriting can be a risky venture, but it can lead to huge dividends, or hilarious failure if not done well. And while I certainly do not condone every single claim made by companies in advertising copy, I do believe that utilizing this little-used writing technique can make a huge impact on overall sales.

What does it mean to “break the fourth wall?” Strap on, and permit me to take you on a journey to four years back when the first Deadpool movie was released. Both parts one and two of the movie, released in 2016 and 2018, ascended to the top of the United States’ highest-grossing R-rated films.

We can talk all day about what made these movies a hit. But what we both can not afford to dismiss is the brilliancy in the way the scriptwriters wrote the storyline. The lead actor, Ryan, talking directly to us (the audience) from the screen, is something we still cherish. Lines like: “My boyfriend said this was a superhero movie,” says Ryan as he predicted some of the viewers’ mood at a point in the movie, “but that guy just turned the other guy into a f*cking kebob. … I may be super, but I’m no hero.”

In screenwriting, this bit is known as “breaking the fourth wall.” StudioBinder described this phrase as “when the story becomes aware of itself.”

In Michael Water’s words and to further clarify the matter: “It is when throughout a book, either the author or the main character talks directly to the reader. For example, the protagonist might do something particularly evil, and then turn around and ask the reader, ‘I know you think I’m the worst person in the world right now.’”

You get the drill.

One can argue that, well, Ryan is already a terrific marketer with a powerful personal brand which makes promoting Deadpool so easy. They wouldn’t be wrong. But then Deadpool wasn’t the only successful movie that pushed the envelope of what we’re used to seeing on TV by employing this simple, yet effective, practice of breaking the fourth wall.

NBC structured The Office in the same way. The Wolf of Wall Street. We even have movies like Annie Hall and The Usual Suspects from the classics. The film critic Matt Singer compiled 25 of such movies. In essence, breaking the fourth wall works gracefully well in screenwriting.

In copywriting, just like in screenwriting, breaking the fourth wall has always been a great tip to get people’s attention.

The right question then is how can copywriters achieve the same result by applying this principle in their work? Well, let us learn from when others accomplished just that.

David Abbott’s Volvo 740 ad: Write to your persona

The great British copywriter David Abbott broke the fourth wall in the famous Volvo ad of 1983, titled: “If the welding isn’t strong enough…”

“If the welding isn’t strong enough…” ad | Photo credit: Activation Ideas

The ad read:

That’s me, lying rather nervously under the new Volvo 740. For years, I’ve been writing in advertisements that each spot weld in a Volvo is strong enough to support the weight of the entire car. Someone decided I should put my body where my mouth is. So we suspended the car and I crawled underneath. Of course the Volvo lived up to its reputation and I lived to tell the tale. But the real point of the story is this; the Volvo 740 may have a different body shape, a fast and frugal new engine, a new interior and a new suspension system, but in one respect it’s just like the Volvos of yore. It’s so well built you can bet your life on it. I know I just did.

Besides the brilliancy in it, this copy screams: “I AM THE GUY THAT WROTE THIS AD, AND HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED!”

David broke the fourth wall by treating us as he’d treat real people. He wrote this copy in the same way he’d converse about the same topic with people capable of getting excited, surprised, and wowed — and not target audience, viewers, subscribers, or what have you.

He was saying, “Look here, friend. I also know that this is an advertisement but hear me out.”

The ad lived to be one of David’s most memorable copy, and, of course, earning Volvo a fortune as they were the spotlight.

It is close to impossible to finish a marketing course without the instructor mentioning that, in writing a marketing copy, it is paramount to stick with your persona. But do we really?

Terms like target audience, website visitors, potential clients, are engrained on our minds that it is tough to truly imagine and write to our ideal customer. It is always easier for us to default to picturing those arbitrary concepts, and not real people.

You have the power to make your audience feel you are also aware of the fact that they are reading an ad copy, while creatively interweaving this surfaced fact with the message you’re trying to get across. David did.

Write to your persona, and not for them. Ad copies are more engaging and entertaining to read that way.

When you break the fourth wall in writing a copy, it forces you to be honest. You feel less restricted to any rule that messes with the authenticity of the relationship you form with your “target market.”

British Heart Foundation’s ‘Unexpected’ Campaign: Demonstrate you understand your audience

World Health Organization reported that cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) — heart diseases, in other words — are the #1 cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year. The coronavirus, with everyone it puts us through this year, didn’t take one-tenth of that since its emergence.

To combat this menace, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) set to fund vital researches into heart disease and similar risk factors. And three years ago, the foundation launched a terrific campaign titled “Unexpected” aimed to maintain awareness of heart disease and make the public care more deeply about its sudden nature and devastating effects.

In early February 2017, BHF posted ads containing the central message of the campaign everywhere in London: Underground tube care panels, taxi seats and on mirror cling, coffee cups and cinema tickets, even the sports pages of prominent newspapers like UK’s The Sun, and (oh, brace yourself) valentine cards.

The campaign spread fast through England like a wildfire.

A whole lot was spent — money, time, and so many cups of tea gulped down countless throats — but that isn’t the only reason the campaign succeeded. As you might have guessed, the French graphic designer Elisabeth Bolzon, who worked on the copies, made sure she broke the fourth wall in writing all the variations of the campaign.

Overview of BHF’s “Unexpected” takeover on print media | Image credit: Elisabeth Bolzon

Although Elisabeth also broke the fourth wall, as Ryan did in Deadpool and David did with Volvo, she took a slightly different approach. What she did was establish to the audience that she fully understood them.

For any person that reads any of the campaign messages, they’ll most likely be reading what was going on in their minds right at that moment.

Let’s break down one of these variations (No, not the valentine card):

The Sun’s Bizarre spread page — February 3, 2017

This campaign message reads (the red writing on the left page):

HARRY’S BIRTHDAY, NOW THERE’S A BIRTHDAY YOU WOULDN’T MIND INVITED TO. Oh, and what about that dress Rita wore to the 50 Shades premiere? That’s the kind of gossip you could spend all day chatting to your friends about. Thing is, you might never get to chat to them again. Because heart diseases can kill when you least expect it. Even now. With the page open on Bizzarre. Just like that, with no time to prepare. No time to do anything. Gossip suddenly seems a little less important. But while you’re reading this, research is happening. And with research there is hope. Together we can beat heart disease. Join the fight at bhf.org.uk and help us fight for every heartbeat. Now, let’s just hope Harry doesn’t spend that million quid all at once.

Notice how the message began with what is most likely the first thought that crossed your mind after glancing at the page — catching the most visible headlines.

The copywriter then draws you into the story, joking around and making you feel understood. It didn’t feel like there was any barrier between you two. And then logically, you begin to see how big of a deal heart diseases are.

Tell me you didn’t feel connected with the message. I know I did. The fourth wall’s down! Ladies and gentlemen, we’re in the room.

Breaking the fourth wall in writing these campaign messages wasn’t the only reason the campaign reached millions of people during the campaign period. The simple principle wasn’t the only reason BHF recorded a surge of 20,000 new followers across their social channels either. But it sure played a significant role.

Your audience is people like you and me, made up of flesh and blood and a beating heart.

Walk with them in their minds. Break the fourth wall by addressing the heart of the pain you want to provide the solution of. Make them feel understood, and without doubt, they will most certainly become more open to reason. I am certain you would love that. Who wouldn’t?