New Balance

1The 'supermodels in London and dads in Ohio' line

• New Balance's line is specific enough to be proved true or false. 'Worn by supermodels in London and dads in Ohio' is a checkable claim, unlike vague phrases such as 'change an entire industry'. Harry Dry says a claim that can be wrong puts the writer's head on the chopping block, and that is why readers sit up.

  Harry compares it to Galileo: saying the earth spins around the sun got him punished, while a harmonious connection with a celestial object would have got him sent to the pub. His quote: "as a writer you're putting your head on the chopping block."

  How I Write▶ 5:58

• The line passes all three copy tests: visualize, falsify, own. Harry asks of each sentence: can I visualize it, can I falsify it, can nobody else say it. New Balance's line gets three yes's, while a recruitment slogan he compares it to gets three no's.

  Three no's means you are probably writing rubbish, and three yes's means you are onto something. He uses the test both to write and to review copy. He says you can't add or remove a word to improve the New Balance line.

  How I Write▶ 1:37