‘Chestnut’ slogans that just keep winning Part 4
From my own years of experience, I say that we should not judge chestnuts too harshly. In any case, any comper who claims never to have used or adapted one in a time of need is probably a liar (or at the very least has a most selective memory)! Chestnuts regularly win competitions which means, like it or not, that they are often just what a judge is looking for. And, snobbery aside, you’ll only ever win a competition if you give a judge what they’re looking for (an obvious statement, but one that you’d be wise never to forget!). You might be able to claim the moral high ground after slaving over an original slogan, but what location would you prefer… the aforementioned moral high ground or a nice sandy beach somewhere, complete with spending money?
Personally, I’m not averse to using the occasional chestnut. I’ve had plenty of my own original slogans stolen or adapted by others over the years after all, so it’s simply a case of ‘swings and roundabouts’ so far as I’m concerned! But then again, can we be sure that our claims of ‘original’ will always stand up anyway? Many ‘original’ slogans turn out to be either adaptations of earlier successes, or follow a similar style, template or idea. Some could inadvertently duplicate (or at least pay homage to!) past winners without the writer even realising it. There’s no law against two people having the same idea after all.
Chestnuts are – and, like it or not, always will be – a feature of comping. Ignore (or, worse still, haughtily dismiss) them at your peril. They’ll always impact on you, either as an occasional or regular user yourself, or as someone who tries their best to steer clear of them only to be beaten to a prize by one with alarming regularity. There’s no right or wrong opinion on the subject – but can giving a promoter exactly what they want really be that unfair or unethical? The particular circumstances of a competition sometimes means that a chestnut is an acceptable strategy anyway, and for someone just starting out in our hobby a chestnut or two can give a great confidence boost and kick start their own original ideas. So, chestnuts aren’t all bad – and let’s be brutally honest, they’ve probably won a prize or three in the past for most people reading this! Yes, even you – the one looking down your nose at the screen, shaking your head and tut-tutting snootily. Go on, be a devil and admit it… and yes, it does count if you entered in someone else’s name!
READ MORE OF STEVE MIDDLETON’S WINNING ADVICE AT WWW.COMPERSNEWS.COM
