1 timeless copywriting lesson from Netflix’s “Don’t F**k With Cats”

No spoilers.

Just an observation most copywriters will find valuable… 

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The title of Netflix’s latest (sensational) true-crime documentary, Don’t F**k With Cats, was NOT conceived by the film’s writer and director, Mark Lewis.

It was an off-the-cuff turn of phrase spoken by one of the documentary’s subjects, Deanna Thompson. Lewis was interviewing her when she said it.

“[On the internet] there’s an unwritten rule,” said Thompson. “It’s unwritten but it’s understood. Rule Zero. And Rule Zero is Don’t Fuck With Cats.”

It came out spontaneously, in a moment of passion. 

Thompson said it. Lewis heard it, liked it, thought about it, still liked it, and then decided to make it the title of his film. Now the world is saying it.

This random, ad-libbed comment has become the face of the documentary, the thing people experience first, the title — the headline — and a good one at that:

It’s commanding attention. 
It’s framing the story. 
It’s compelling millions of people to watch. 

And therein lies a valuable copywriting lesson:

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As a copywriter, a marketer, a communicator, you must always LISTEN more than you speak.

(It’s an unwritten rule of copywriting if you will. Rule Zero: Shut The Fuck Up.)

Because you never know when someone else — a colleague, a manager, a client — will literally speak your next headline or tagline or subject line.

Remember… 

Copywriting legend Eugene Schwartz said it best:

“You don’t have to have great ideas if you can HEAR great ideas…”

P.S.

Happy New Year, my friend.

Thanks for reading and sharing — and I’ll see you in 2020!

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