Quentin Tarantino and the Art of Institutional Copywriting
When it comes to writing for a particular institution or voice, there are lessons to be learned from the film world — specifically, from one of our most heralded screenwriters. Since his debut with 1992‘s Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino has churned out characters that seem to spring fully-formed from his fertile mind. In 2019’s Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood, he’s once again writing for a distinct time and place — sleazy, swinging late 60’s L.A. — and nailing every voice along the way.
But this is an article about marketing, and as such, I feel compelled to impart at least a few nuggets. As anyone who’s read a piece on this blog knows, if I can find a way to tie marketing to popular culture, I’ll do it.
Let’s start with Quentin.
The world of Once Upon a Time may resemble our own, with historical figures (i.e., Roman Polanski, Sharon Tate, Charles Manson, Bruce Lee) walking among fictional characters, but it’s also pure fantasy. Protagonist Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a former nighttime TV star whose career has dried up; he’s now guesting on various shows and none too happy about it. His claim to fame, the role of Jake Cahill on the TV show “Bounty Law,” hovers over him like a vulture. His self-esteem is in tatters, his alcoholism starting to run amok. Even as Rick turns in worthy performances, he’s consumed with jealousy and self-doubt.
Tarantino pulls off a number of neat tricks in Once Upon a Time, thanks to his steel-trap mind for television of the era. At one point, he recreates a scene from an actual 1965 episode of “The FBI” entitled “All the Streets are Silent” in which a gunman in a pickup truck (Dalton) accosts and kills two soldiers on their way to California’s Camp Pendleton. (The role in the original episode was played by Burt Reynolds.)
Dalton’s performances on “Bounty Law” and “The FBI” never happened, but we feel as if they did, because Tarantino’s done his homework. He knows television so well, he can recreate any show and make us think Dalton appeared in it, just as Dalton inserts himself into the Steve McQueen role in The Great Escape. This may feel like shot-for-shot imitation, parroting plot beats, and dialogue, but in Tarantino’s hands, it’s more than mimicry. It’s loving homage.
This is at least part of the point of institutional copywriting, which relies, to some extent, on the marketer’s instinct for mimicry. But it’s more than imitation. It takes years to find one’s own voice, never mind someone else’s. The ability to grok an institutional style — or that of a CEO, Executive Director, or Board President — is another skill altogether, one that’s crucial to the success of any marketer or marketing enterprise.
To write successfully on behalf of an individual or organization, there are three main points I usually follow. I say “usually” because there is, inevitably, some piece of information you don’t receive that makes following all three difficult, if not impossible. Just do the best you can.
- Read everything your boss has ever written.
Well, okay, not everything, but go back a couple years at least. As much communication as you can lay my hands on. Look at the way an executive writes, their turn of phrase, their use of dashes, their propensity for colloquialism, idiosyncratic use of grammar, etc. It’s detective work. But instead of fingerprints, you’re picking up elements of style, with the intention of producing communication that not only sounds like, but also embodies the voice of a person or institution. Just as Rick Dalton lived rent-free in Tarantino’s head during the writing of Once Upon a Time, your client, boss, or organization needs to take up residence as you prepare to write on their behalf. Think of it as literary osmosis.
2. Don’t just look at the mission, vision, and values. Memorize them.
Another thing to consider: what does the company do? Taking time to understand and absorb an organization’s mission will make your voice that much more authentic. Regardless of the intended audience — constituents, non-constituents — your writing should at least touch on what an organization does or stands for. Marketers know this — it’s pretty much required that you tattoo a mission on your brain when you work for a nonprofit—but it’s worth refreshing your memory every now and then. As soon as you receive your assignment, go back and look at the mission. Note the keywords, the themes, and make sure your writing reflects that.
3. Don’t set and forget. Test and retest.
As you would for any other campaign, keep track of opens, click-throughs, and conversions. Finding success? Think: what was it about this communication that broke through? If it flopped, think about a different approach. Maybe your initial pass wasn’t emotional enough. Maybe there wasn’t enough urgency. Just as you’ve spent time getting to know institutional voice, you’ve got to pay attention to what connects with your audience and be prepared to pivot.
Brief case study, utilizing mission.
One of my beloved synagogue clients, Oheb Shalom (tag line “Traditional heart, modern soul”) has the following mission: “[We are] an egalitarian, inclusive community that embraces Jewish tradition in the 21st century… we are proud of our multi-generational membership, made up of people from all ages and backgrounds who seek a Jewish community… We welcome the diversity of individuals of all color, race, sexual orientation, and gender identity. We respect each individual’s personal Jewish journey with compassion, consideration, and kindness.”
Nice, right? So I’m writing an email thanking their non-members for coming to a talk, letting them know about upcoming events they may enjoy. I want to make sure that the folks who came to the synagogue for the first time understand what the organization does and stands for. So after a paragraph thanking them for attending, and before a short list of events, I’ve inserted the following paragraph:
At Oheb Shalom, we’re proud of our diverse, multi-generational membership, made up of people from all ages and backgrounds who seek a Jewish community and place to call home. As an egalitarian, inclusive synagogue that embraces Jewish tradition with a modern soul, we respect each individual’s personal Jewish journey with compassion, consideration, and kindness.
It isn’t the point of the email, but getting the mission in there is crucial, just as specific phrases and keywords help with SEO. As attendees scan the list of upcoming events, they’ll do so with context: here’s who they are, here’s what they do. And lest you think this isn’t important to convey to current membership, think again. Reinforcing the mission of an organization to which members pay annual dues or fees is as key to retention as it is for acquisition, no matter whether you’re writing everyday correspondence or at renewal time. Remind people why they’re there!
Over the course of his ten films, Quentin Tarantino has taken us on a journey to the center of his head, faithfully (and often controversially) recalling tropes from bygone eras. Jackie Brown (1997), featuring Pam Grier, is his ode to 1970s Blaxploitation. Kill Bill, Part One (2003) apes the look and feel of martial arts films. Inglorious Basterds (2009) imagines a squadron of Nazi hunters in 1944 France. Django Unchained (2012) is a revenge drama set in the pre-Civil War Deep South. The Hateful Eight (2015) is a hyperverbal take on the Western. Regardless of where or when his films take place, they’re so grounded in style, in genre, you feel like you’re watching something that could have been made decades ago — and yet they retain the unmistakable voice of Quentin Tarantino. Rick Dalton doesn’t have an IMDb entry, but you’d be excused for thinking he does. And if you’re tempted to ask, “Where is he now?” the answer is that he passed away in 2023 at the age of 90, according to Tarantino’s Video Archives Podcast:
So committed is Tarantino to the bit that he and co-host Roger Avary spend two episodes discussing Dalton’s “work” and read out loud a Q&A Tarantino allegedly conducted with Dalton in the star’s back yard in Honolulu in 1999.
But that’s it, isn’t it? In order to find style, you have to commit to the bit. I’m not saying you need to spend all your time watching obscure TV from the 60s and 70s, unless that’s your thing. But if you’re going to represent an organization as a marketer, you’ve got to take its temperature, get the lay of the land. It’s not enough to regurgitate phrases or facts. You’ve got to become the voice. The more you know, as they say, the more authentic the communication.
