How To Use the Fundamentals Of Sketch Comedy For Radio Ads
by Graham Reinbold
A sketch can typically be broken into five parts:
- The Set-Up
- The First Turning Point
- The Exploration
- The Resolution
- The Out
This same structure can be used for writing memorable, comedic radio ads.
The Set-Up: The Who, What, and Where
Before you begin writing, ask who the product is for, what the product solves and where the product is used. By doing this, you create a world filled with characters struggling with a problem that the promoted product or service can fix, setting up your ad while creating a picture in the audience’s mind.
For example, if we were advertising something like a 24/7 plumbing service, it’s important to find a situation where this service would be necessary. Keep it brief and to the point. The who, what, and where could be listed out as follows:
WHO: Dave and Kate — a new couple.
WHERE: Dave’s house.
WHAT: Kate discovers an odor in Dave’s house.
Written out our set up may look something like this:
KATE: Thanks for having me over Dave! (sniffing) Wow, dinner smells amazing! Roasted garlic, melted butter, and (sniffing) um…what’s that?
DAVE: Oh, sorry. A sewage pipe burst upstairs. It’s not that bad if you just breathe through your mouth!
KATE: You know…I kind of lost my appetite.
The 1st Turning Point: Introducing the Product or Service
Now it’s time to introduce the product or service. You have a few options for this. One character can introduce it to the other or a narrator can chime in. The important part is clearly stating what you are trying to advertise. In our example, an announcer can say:
ANNOUNCER: Don’t let a broken pipe burst your bubble, call 1–800-Made-Up-Plumbers for your 24/7 emergency repairs!
Explore
You’ve got your set up and you’ve introduced the focus of the ad. It’s time to explore the benefits of the product/service and break down why it could help the listener’s life. This can be done by having the narrator or a well-informed character explain these benefits. Continuing with our plumbing example, if we wanted to push 24/7 availability and award-winning customer service, the “explore” section of our ad could look something like this:
DAVE: Wow, even fixing a burst pipe late on a Saturday night?
ANNOUNCER: Our expert plumbers are ready to tackle all of your plumbing problems anytime, anywhere. Even on date night!
KATE: Speaking of date night… I think I’m gonna head home. Call me back when you get the pipe fixed though!
DAVE: Aw man…
ANNOUNCER: Don’t worry, Dave! Our award-winning staff is known for their customer service with a smile, so you won’t be too lonely tonight!
DAVE: Will they eat my chicken alfredo?!
ANNOUNCER: Um… maybe not.
We’re using Dave to represent the audience by asking questions and interacting with our narrator to get information out in a more natural and scenic way.
Resolution
A good story needs a satisfying resolution. In our example we answer the biting question: will Dave take advantage of the 24/7 plumbing repairs? Since it’s an ad, probably. This provides a resolution to the story we’ve set up, but also provides a good example for the listeners to follow. A great way to end a scene is to reference your set up.
We’ve brought up Dave cooking, so revisiting this can help us find an ending for the scene. If you pay attention to scenes in television or movies, you’ll notice the writer will often use some information introduced early in the scene as a callback to end it.
DAVE: Broken pipes aren’t going to ruin my love life! I’m gonna call 1–800-Made-Up-Plumbers right now!
ANNOUNCER: (sniffing) You might want to turn the oven off first…
DAVE: My chicken alfredo!
The Out/Tagline
Always end on a call to action. A final line using active language to motivate the audience to act, while also restating the best way to contact them.
ANNOUNCER: Anytime, anywhere, we’re ready to help! Call 1–800-Made-Up-Plumbers today, that’s 1–800-Made-Up-Plumbers!
If you need help putting this all together, reach out to our team at Write Label. We’re experts at creating captivating ads. And our chicken alfredo isn’t that bad either.
