15 Copywriting Tips From Jaws

Like many would-be classics, Jaws plagued with problems, took a long time to make (over 150 days), and the actors who ultimately played in it weren't the studio's first choice. You can write a book about everything related to the filmmaking of Jaws, and how it affected movies and culture - and in fact, there are plenty of them. Like many unexpected cultural hits, its success wasn't a sure thing, was fraught with internal and external strife, and has been analyzed ad nauseam. From a cultural point of view, it signalled a seismic shift in Hollywood - the birth of the summer blockbuster. It also inspired countless imitations, parodies - and copywriting tips.

A testament to its long-lasting greatness is that 50 years have past and, like iconic films such as The Godfather, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and 2001: A Space Odyssey, their influence is still felt across the cultural world.

Here are 15 Copywriting Tips From Jaws to sink your creative teeth into...

"You're gonna need a bigger boat"

This is probably the film's most famous line of dialogue, and one of cinema's most iconic lines. It was improvised by the actor, Roy Scheider. Lesson? With all due respect to planning and testing, improvisation will always be an important, even indespensible part of the creative process.

"Smile, you son of a bitch!"

Whether short copy or long-form content, you want to leave your audience with a memorable line that will stay with them, long after they finish reading your piece of content or saw your banner, post, or other type of ad. [And it's certainly an attention-grabbing headline]

"All this machine does is swim, eat, and make baby sharks."

Describing a product or service? You can do it in a dry, explanatory paragraph. Or in a few simple, colorful words, like Matt Hooper.

"I can do anything. I'm the chief of police!"

Use language that will empower the user/reader/potential customer. How can the service/product/your company empower the user?

"For that you get the head, the tail, the whole damn thing."

What does the customer get when they hire you? Make it sound convincing, and make it sound that they're getting value they won't find anywhere else.

"Cage goes in the water, you go in the cage. Shark's in the water. Our shark."

How many times did users have to read a piece of content over and over because the paragraph was too convulted or technical? Make it simple as possible.

"This is not a boat accident. It wasn't any profeller. It wasn't any coral reef. And it wasn't Jack the Ripper. It was a shark."

Short sentences do the trick.

"I can't argue with a man armed with Harpoons."

This is a just great phrase to use in a brainstorming argument...or in a fishing-related content ('if you're going to argue with a man armed with harpoons, better do it with...')

"Do sharks charge rent for staying so close?"

Sarcasm is always a great tool - when used wisely, and moderately.

"You'll never truly understand the ocean until you've felt its rage."

Show empathy to users in copywriting or other content that deals with daily crisises.

"The ocean teaches us lessons we'd all rather not learn."

"When you dive deep, the rules change."

Copywriting is not the same as content writing. When you make the transition from writing headlines and taglines to long-form content such as blogs, articles, etc., the writing rules change.

"You all know me. You know what I do for a living."

There's nothing wrong in high-value self-promotion.

"We're all prey in the right circumstance."

Life lessons with a twist are great quotes for social media posts.

"To survive, you must first respect your adversary."

Writing in a field with many/big competition? Respect them. Don't belitle their services or their products, it'll come back to...bite you.