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Maybe I missed a true calling in advertising.  When I was doing a mock A-Level English exam there was a question that provided us with a certain amount of information (along with parameters) and asked us to craft a form that encouraged kids to take up tennis in association with the Lawn Tennis Association.  I did so well in the task that it was read out in other A-Level English classes as a prime example of how to write a successful pamphlet.  What a shame it was only the mock A-Level exam rather than the real thing.
Recently, my office permitted me to go on a day-long training course on 'How to write a press release'.  Some of the information was more pertinent to my line of work than others but the concluding task was that each participant in this course (I was the only man among eight women) was asked to pick one scenario from five prospective situations and write a press release of no more than 300 words.  I decided to go for the 'Edible Insects' commercial release designed for the supermarket chains and top restaurants - so executives and chefs, rather than the general public via journalists.  This demanded a professional approach, still catching the eye but toning down the humour.
Knuckling down, I made sure I used all the points needed to convey the information - Who, What, Why, Where, When and How - adding a celebrity and an event to pique interest, with a scientific voice to lend credibility to the enterprise.  We were allowed our imagination full rein and people and events could be created if they served the overall purpose.  The course convenor was very impressed, though was unsure whether that it kept within the word limit - I showed her my paper pad, knowing that I write about 400 words to an A4 page.  Typing it up later (for myself), it came out at 188 words - considerably under the limit (!) but why use two words when one will do.  Given 20 minutes to write it out (some sections I had to cross out as either irrelevant or boring and every claim had to be independently verified), with a bit more time (and on a computer) I could have burnished it a little more.  See what you think:




Insects food of the future, says UN

The United Nations is backing an initiative to make insects a regular part of the average shopper’s basket, as part of its ‘world without hunger’ campaign. Nutritious and environmentally friendly, insects are numerous enough to be a sustainable food source for years to come, it claims.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is already funding insect farming in Asia and Africa and mealworm production is coming onstream in Europe. On 20th August, there will be an exhibition at London Zoo as a tasting session of more than 100 insect lines for the public to try. This will be hosted by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
Alfred Jerkin, Professor of Zoology at Queen Mary University, said, “Insects are so plentiful, that not only are they environmentally friendly but they are very cheap to farm too. The taste can be delicious – locusts, for example, taste similar to honeyed waffles. It shouldn’t be a huge leap as we already eat prawns and the like.” FAO distribution centres have sprung up in Paddington, London, Victoria, Manchester and Gateshead, Newcastle to serve the expanding desire for edible insects.