Wanted: Prooffreader

Posted by on Nov 12, 2009 in Marketing Industry | 9 comments

wendys_ad

I apologize for this photo’s utter lack of awesomeness, but A) I was armed with only a mediocre cell-phone camera and B) the light was turning green and I opted to pay attention to my driving — unlike some of you!

If it’s too fuzzy to make out, let me transcribe the important part for you:

Make your spare change hot 'n juicy.

As a guy who’s a bit of a stickler for proper writing and grammar, I look at that and think, “Is Wendy’s offering to make my change ‘hot an juicy’?” Of course, the sharp-eyed among us noticed the missing apostrophe: It should say “hot 'n' juicy.” You know, because you’re leaving out the A and the D.

I don’t pretend to be infallible, but I do indeed proofread my work. And I pay special attention to shorter, high-visibility bits of text, as they tend to hold the most potential for embarrassment.

(Aside: I learned this lesson while working at my college newspaper, when one of my colleagues invented what we decided was a new adverb, “pawlently,” in a headline on a story about Minnesota’s governor. No one else caught the mistake, and it went to print; we later jokingly used the word in casual coversation: “He walked pawlently into the night…”)

So in this Wendy’s ad, did no one look closely at the copy before sending if off to the printer? To me, that first apostrophe stands out. It draws the attention of a careful writer or proofreader, begging to be verified and approved. How does a writer not notice the missing one? Do we blame lack of sleep, apathy or something else?

Editor’s note: Yes, the headline is intentional.

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  • http://www.fasthorseinc.com/blog/ Mike Keliher

    Thanks for the comments, all.

    Liz, don’t be afraid. I’m just trying to teach.

    George, I’d have called them and demanded the head of the book’s editor. They’re ruining your daughter’s mind!

    Tim, I’m pretty sure the period should go inside the closing quote. :)

  • Jodi

    The other day, I saw a license plate on a hearse that said 6FTUNDR. That, I might say, is an appropriate use of short cutting copy!

  • http://www.lizgiel.com Liz

    When I know I’m going to see Mike Keliher, I check the tags on my clothes for typos. If they are sticking out at any point, he’ll notice it.

    Not really, but I think I’ll start.

  • George

    I was reading a book to my daughter the other night and one page’s text read “the birds flew though (no ‘r’) the trees” and another page read “Oh, bother (no ‘r’ again)..” I just about called the publisher and said Mike Keliher would be pissed if he we were reading this.

  • http://www.always-thinking.com Tim Otis

    Nice catch, Mike. I’m a stickler when it comes to proofreading, too. I owe that to Richard Laermer– a man who finds typos and grammatical missteps ‘unacceptable.’ So let’s all give a shout-out to our wonderful employers and teachers over the years who have taught us the wonders of “The Elements of Style”.

  • http://www.fasthorseinc.com JohnR

    Mike is fighting a losing battle. Doesn’t he know we’re in the post-literate society?

  • http://www.fasthorseinc.com/blog/ Mike Keliher

    Mr. Thomas, let me be clear:

    I’m not perfect. No one is. That’s why multiple people should proofread an ad before it gets put on the back of a bus.

    And your spicy chicken sandwich kicks ass.

  • Dave Thomas

    “So in this Wendy’s ad, did no one look closely at the copy before sending if off to the printer?”

    Thank your lucky stars your post didn’t appear on the back of a bus. Some jackass with a camera phone would be all up in your grill about now. He’d be spoutin’ off about glass houses and throwing stones and all.

  • The Raging Eagle Vears Over Ranters

    No one else caught the mistake, and it went to print; we later jokingly used the word in casual coversation: “He walked pawlently into the night…”)

    We need to have a conversation about this…