I Wrote Ads, Won Contests, Got Fined… Then I Made Up a Word That Will Stuck. Clickwanted?

Here’s what happened: I once wrote a radio ad for Citroën. It aired. I won second prize. The reward? Basically eternal bragging rights and a pat on the back. But hearing my words on the radio? Electrifying. Like audio glitter.

A few months later, I entered another contest. This time, I invented a slick little marketing word – clever, punchy, the kind of thing you’d expect a major ad agency to overthink for three weeks. The company? Nissan. They loved it. So much that they handed me keys to a car for a 24-hour joyride.

• Now guess who didn’t put a fire extinguisher in that car?
• Guess who got pulled over by the police?
• Guess who ended up paying €50 out of pocket… for a prize?

That was the moment I had a mild existential marketing crisis. It hit me: maybe not every idea is meant to be handed out like free samples at a trade show. Maybe some of them deserve to stick around.

So I changed my strategy. No more tossing brilliant ideas into the contest void like confetti. I stopped writing things just to be “seen.” I stopped pitching myself like a brand that desperately needs a coupon code.

I started hoarding the good stuff. I started naming my ideas. I started building a little creative ecosystem where the best bits didn’t end up on someone else’s mediocre promo flyer.

And eventually, I coined a word for work that makes you want to click it like a cat pawing a blinking light: clickwanted.

Creative Wins with Questionable ROI

Look, I’m still proud of those moments.

The Citroën radio ad? Iconic (in my head).
The marketing word for Nissan? Honestly? Still brilliant.

But back then I thought “visibility” was currency. Like maybe if I won enough contests, someone would send me a crown or a career. Spoiler: they didn’t.

Then came the fine. €50. For an empty fire extinguisher slot in a car I didn’t even own.

It was the decorative parsley on a plate of creative burnout, unpaid labor, and shiny brand marketing that always says “thank you” but never says “invoice us.”

So I stopped. I stopped giving away my brainchildren to corporations with promotional balloons. And I started keeping the things that felt… clickwanted.

What Even Is Clickwanted?

Glad you asked. Clickwanted (lowercase is fine too) is the kind of work that makes you want to click, scroll, or stare a second longer.

Not clickbait. Not SEO oatmeal. Not guilt-trippy newsletter copy.

Just that satisfying, zesty feeling of: “Ooooh. What’s this? I like this.”

• A clickwanted title? It sings.
• A clickwanted image? It flirts.
• A clickwanted design? It doesn’t shout “Buy me!” – it winks from across the room.

It’s fun. Honest. Effortlessly sharp. Not trying too hard, but absolutely nailing it anyway.

And it’s born from care. From actually giving a damn about how something looks, sounds, and lands.

Clickbait	Clickwanted
Misleads for traffic	Delivers real value
Overpromises	Intrigues & delights
Often manipulative	Always intentional, creative, and classy
Cheap tricks	Smart clicks

Why It Matters (Besides Feeding Your Inner Design Diva)

Because the internet is overflowing with stuff that looks like it was created by a sleepy AI on autopilot.

Clickwanted work cuts through the beige. It makes your audience stop scrolling mid-sandwich.

It’s the difference between “meh” and “ooooh yes.”

You can feel when something’s clickwanted. You know it when you see it. And once you notice, you can’t unsee how bland everything else is.

Want to Make Your Work More Clickwanted?

Try this:

• Say something new (or say the obvious in a cheeky way)
• Choose color like you mean it (gray is not a personality)
• Use your own voice (you, but more sparkle)
• Don’t manipulate – delight
• Leave a trace (even if they don’t click, they remember it)

And for the love of the cats, stop submitting your best work to companies who think a branded keychain is fair compensation.

Want to make your content more clickwanted and more visible? There’s an actual strategy for that – and no, it doesn’t involve 30 desperate hashtags or dancing in a reel (unless you want to). Here’s the plan I follow now.

Coming Soon: The Semi-Official Clickwanted Checklist

I’m putting together a checklist. Possibly stickers. Maybe a mug. Definitely a manifesto.

Because if I’ve learned anything from radio ads, fire extinguisher fines, and being ghosted by marketing departments, it’s this:

Some ideas are worth keeping.
Some words deserve their own category.
And if your project isn’t at least a little bit clickwanted… maybe it needs more glitter.

– Silvia

P.S.
Did you laugh? Just a tiny “heh”? That’s all I was aiming for. 🙂
If you smirked, snorted, or sent it to a friend with a “lol,” then mission clickwanted: accomplished.