Regional differences mean Arabic copywriting is no easy task, says Rami Abughazaleh
English copywriting has hardly any problems, unlike Arabic copywriting. You may not agree but if you work in ad-land then it's a sentiment you hear very often.
What is it with this 'habibi' language? Why do we have to spend hours, if not days, on to-and-fro contacts with the client until we finally manage to nail the 'yalla' seal of approval on an Arabic copy?
The way every Arab tastes the copy they read is largely influenced by both their dialect and their school education. An British/American-educated Arab can hardly understand, let alone appreciate, Arabic literary expressions. Even the standard Arabic used in newspapers and TV broadcasts seems obscure to them at times.
It's a fact, especially if you belong to the younger generation of Arabs. You are either Arabic-educated or English-educated; you're either brilliant at Arabic and poor at English, or the reverse. You can't have it both ways unless you have had a well-balanced curriculum of both languages. And even in that case, you are not going to be as good at English as a fully English-educated Arab. This is one of the reasons why many Arabs disagree on Arabic copywriting details.
There is one thing we agree on though - using the simplest form of Arabic to get the message across to as many as possible. The trouble is we don't always agree on what is simple and what is not.
Another area of conflict is the usage of dialect. Every Arab country has a dialect that's different, sometimes considerably, from others, and mastering Arabic dialects remains a challenge to some Arabic copywriters. Some would say it's not really necessary but I beg to differ. Understanding what connotation(s) each word has in every dialect is crucial for every selective Arabic copywriter in order to make the best choice.
While the use of dialect in press ads in countries like Egypt is both enjoyable and effective, it is often frowned upon in GCC countries. If it's quite acceptable to write a colloquial headline in KSA, where the target audience is mostly Saudis, it is less acceptable to do the same in UAE press ads.
It stands to reason that a fairly stilted language that is only spoken in TV and radio broadcasts (or otherwise for humorous purposes) can never be closer to us than a dialect that we are perfectly familiar with. However, not only do we raise people's hackles if we use it in UAE press ads but we also run the risk of devaluing the brand image of the product in question, unless it's a funky product that is targeted at the youth market.
This is partly the reason why English copywriters are having more fun than us, Arabic copywriters. Every creative might have his/her own headache(s), but English copywriters don't have the kind of headache we have. They are free to break grammatical or orthographic ties whenever appropriate without raising eyebrows. They can go wild. In fact they are encouraged to do so. But if we come anywhere near unorthodox Arabic copywriting, people start wagging their fingers.
To sum it all up, good Arabic copywriting is not about following a set of rules and instructions, it's about deciding when and how to use a word, and which dialect or tone, based on your professional judgment not your personal preference.
I've prattled on and on. Don't be surprised; I'm an Arab all over.
Rami Abughazaleh is a senior Arabic copywriter at Impact BBDO, Dubai.
© Gulf Marketing Review 2005
