Catalogue copy we love

Many things about the Niton Equipment catalogue make it less than easy to shop from: tiny type fonts, too many type fonts, nearly illegible reverse type against images, page layouts that defy eye flow, the lack of an index. Which is a shame, because the seller of equipment for law-enforcement and security professionals knows how to write copy that sells.

When selling gear that can literally save the customer's life, emphasising benefit is key. And Niton does just that, for virtually every one of its 3,500-plus products and all of its merchandise categories and subcategories. A few examples:

"Searching is an emotive task which requires tact and diplomacy. The use of a hand-held detector as part of your operational tasks can help to reduce the risks of confrontation. Hand-held detectors enable you to search quickly, thoroughly and professionally, thereby allowing you to concentrate on positive targeting for more in-depth searching, as required. Hand-held detectors have no gender factor; customers of both sexes can be searched by the operator." You can't spell out the benefits of this type of detector any more plainly.

The Pol-i-Veil "protects the identity of the prisoner, inmate or underage offender during transfers and protects the officer from being spat on"--certainly not something I'd have ever even thought about, and proof that Niton really knows its market. "...There is also the elimination of the trip-and-fall-in-police-custody hazard because the prisoner has 30% visibility out. It can also be used for full witness protection in and out of court rooms..."

"Niton wanted to test this new product [the Cooldanna, designed to keep users cool in hot weather] in the extreme, so we called upon a friend in the Household Cavalry, who was due for a trip to Iraq. In temperatures of 40 degrees-plus, it helped to keep him cool, and comfortable, and now he wouldn't be without it!"

Even something as seemingly simple as a dispenser for barricade tape gets the full treatment: "Dispense tape easily with one hand. Serrated edge cuts tape quickly. Notch secures loose end. No loose parts when reloading..."

If you're seeking an example of marketing copy that hits its target every time, you could do a lot worse than that of Niton.--SC