Hands Face Space
The London MSM have got tired of reporting what might save lives.
Why prevent someone’s death when you can conjure a titillating story in pursuit of personal eyeball metrics instead.
When Boris Johnson unveiled this latest addition to his coronavirus sloganising, reporters were more interested in his off-mic comments.
Yes, he thought he’d repeated it enough.
His new hendiatris;
hands face space
…wash your hands, cover your face and make space.
To which you can add the suffix, where apt, ‘get a test’.
It is indeed, “pretty punchy”.
There’s so much wrong with press reaction to this.
They seem to think themselves above what they consider playground and as such unworthy mantras.
Because journalists are cleverer. Denounce any motto as evil spin. Common sense or truth does not a point-scoring story make.
Guilty of thinking that surely any saying looped continually becomes ineffective. Ripe for mockery. Boredom triggering rejection.
Because they hear it so often, they wrongly think their audience is sick of it too. There’s a concept of ‘dog years’ that applies here. Such reporters are a factor of seven out in their thinking. What they may roll eyes at across a day would take at least an entire week of constant bombardment for the general public to do the same. And here’s the kicker; even then they wouldn’t tire of it.
Yet it is difficult to find fault with official Westminster headline messaging throughout.
Whatever any justified or mistaken negative perceptions to subsequent advice.
Here remains another example from a winning formula.
One which sticks to the core principle of simplicity.
I read a while back a life-long advertiser bemoan the current generation’s rejection of rhyme.
I too share this amazement.
A motto that sells is invariably not one which you think elevates you to be seen as the most sophisticated, intelligent person in the room.
Instead, a rhyme like this one triggers “enhanced processing fluency”. Unleashes the “rhyme-as-reason effect”. Breaks the barriers erected by self-appointed experts – removing “over-professionalisation” that creates a world where such non-insiders are excluded.
Never be embarrassed to refine one for your product, bid or pitch.
And say it as often as you can..