Good ad copywriting often gets praised for the clever headline, the unexpected turn of phrase, the joke that lands. Wit gets applause. It gets shared. It gets recognized. 

Accessible writing, especially in the areas in which we specialize at MORE, takes a different approach, prioritizing clarity over cleverness. Because accessible often means shorter word count, lower reading level, plain sentence structure, and literal language, this kind of writing exists to deliver information, plainly and reliably. 

When you’re working on issues that affect people’s health and wellbeing, plain and reliable matter. That’s its own kind of accomplishment, no less worthy of recognition and applause. The instinct is to treat those limits as the price of doing accessible work. Our experience says otherwise. The limits are what make the work succeed. ‍

What Accessibility Actually Asks of a Writer 

Before writing a single line for an accessible piece, I make sure to ask: 

• Will this be understood by the person who needs it most? 

• Can it be easily translated to reach and resonate with people in multiple languages and cultures? 

• Will it reach someone in a moment of stress, confusion, of urgency, and still make sense? 

• Will it move them to act? 

Answering those questions forces real decisions. A lower reading level forces precision. A tight word count forces prioritization. Plain language forces clarity. None of that leaves room for a line that exists mainly to show off. Every choice has to earn its place. 

That is a harder creative task than writing without constraints. But constraints can create magic.  

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‍The Green Eggs and Ham Hypothesis

The Green Eggs and Ham hypothesis, named for the story behind one of Dr. Seuss's most beloved books, explores the why behind this. The story goes that Seuss’s editor bet him he couldn't write a book using only fifty words, and the result became one of the bestselling children's books of all time. 

There’s research to back this up. A 2017 study gave writers a task: working a particular noun into a two-line rhyme, compared with writers who were working with no constraint at all. The writers who'd worked under a constraint not only produced more creative outcomes but also were shown to have stayed more creative afterward, even once the constraint was lifted. 

The takeaway is that limits are generative. A tight constraint forces a specific choice: this reader, this moment, this need. That specificity is what makes writing land. Accessibility adds a layer of the same discipline. A strict word count or a sixth-grade reading level rules out the easy, padded, jargon-filled version of a line and forces the writer toward something sharper.  ‍

The Payoff 

Writing this way pays off in ways that go beyond craft pride. Constrained, accessible copy moves the needle on things that matter. Things like vaccine awareness, tobacco cessation, eating disorder prevention, sexual health resources, mental health access, and so much more.  

As the Creative Director of Copy, the why behind the work shows up at every step along the way. Making sure things are accessible to all is an essential part of how we build campaigns that do more than just make a splash—they help create lasting change.