Years ago I used to read screenplays for first a literary agent and then a movie production company. My desk was piled high with scripts. 

I could tell if a screenplay was going to be worthwhile within the first ten pages. Screenplays are not text dense on a page … maybe 200 words. So within say 2,000 words I could tell if a script was worth finishing.

Grabbing attention early on whether with a screenplay, a novel, a cartoon, an ad, or a web page has always been important.

But goodness, it sure seems to be getting harder these days.

I’m amazed at how many YouTube commercials I DON’T listen to despite their obvious allure, i.e. “You’re doing it all wrong to get rid of your belly fat.”

Then there are all the smart-aleck, fast-talking, over-the-top creativity these days. I fear that consumers have become battle-hardened. At least, I am.

Last January while watching Super Bowl ads with friends, there was no shortage of attention-grabbing visuals thrown at us.

But, heck, if we knew what was being sold … with the rare exception.

One commercial that grabbed and held my attention was The Little Farmer. 

It shows a little girl on a farm picking up a small potato that fell off a truck. She plants it. 

As it grows she nurtures it lovingly. Eventually, she harvests a big, plump potato. She tosses it into her father’s truck with other plump potatoes destined to become delicious potato chips. Lays. (My personal favorite. Hmmm. That sounds connected to my belly-fat issue.)

The little girl commercial caught my attention because the visuals were tender, heart-felt, and sincere. 

I suspect the humanity is what worked.

Easy Web Tip 364: Warm, inviting, and sincere messages still capture our attention. After all, we’re still human. At least for now …