A Clever Copywriting Trick Makes This Ray Donovan Ad One to Remember

Showtime captures the character's duality

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We’re suckers for advertising craft that cleverly embodies the brand message. Here’s a great example from Showtime’s in-house ad team, which is rolling out a promo today for Ray Donovan that employs a fun copywriting twist to reveal both sides of the drama’s title character.

The first half of the spot is menacing, as actor Liev Schreiber delivers a voiceover in character in which he appears to be threatening someone. But then the second half of the ad, in which Schreiber says the exact same words, comes across as completely the opposite—hopeful and reassuring.

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