When copywriters are “too clever”

November 22, 2010

Have you ever experienced this: The other day I saw a very funny commercial.                                                                 It was well shot. The casting was excellent.                                                                  And the dialogue between the two, very antagonistic                                                    characters was worthy of Raymond Chandler. It had a simple, clever idea – usually the basis for an award-winning ad. The trouble [...]

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9 questions to ask about your agency’s creative work

November 17, 2010

Are you an agency person who presents creative work to your clients? Or are you a marketer who buys it? In either case you want to feel confident that what you’re offering or buying is of the highest quality. The following questions will help you decide the merits, or otherwise, of your agency’s creative proposal. [...]

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Negative copy can sell

November 15, 2010

What advertiser in their right mind would knock their own product? Volkswagen, that’s who. The ad on the left is over 40 years old, yet it’s far more daring than most of the ads you see today. Customers expect advertisers to boast about their products, not to say something negative, as this ad does. When [...]

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5 ways to boost your freelance copywriter’s performance

November 8, 2010
Thumbnail image for 5 ways to boost your freelance copywriter’s performance

1. Choose a copywriter with relevant experience. You may think this is obvious, but many marketers and agencies ignore it and end up with a writer who has general, not specific experience. If your brief is for a specialised area – e.g. pharmaceuticals, high level financial services or b2b IT – find a copywriter with [...]

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Flawed creative briefs

November 1, 2010

A freelance copywriter friend asked me to look at some ad concepts she and her art director had done. The posters were visually arresting. Headlines were short and witty. And the concepts held together as a campaign. But something was wrong. I just didn’t feel like buying the service they were selling, and I couldn’t [...]

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Are you forgetting a fundamental of marketing?

October 18, 2010

I saw an extraordinary guy walking through Golden Square the other evening. He had a style all his own. A lean, wiry chap of at least 60 years, and white haired, he wore an incredibly loud sky-blue, close-cut suit. He also had on white shoes, a bright tie and a red wool ear warmer, which [...]

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Do brand guidelines kill creativity?

October 6, 2010

If you’re ever really bored, bind your legs together with tape and try running around. You’ll feel like a copywriter trying to work with a typical set of brand guidelines – if the ones I’ve come across are anything to go by. It’s not easy trying to perform when you’re restrained by loads of rules. [...]

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How to write a mission statement and brand values

September 27, 2010

Did you know that copywriters are also translators? We often have to turn gobbledygook into English. Last week, for example, I helped a multinational firm rewrite its mission, vision and brand values. Having worked in these areas a few times now, I’ve noticed common mistakes: lots of long paragraphs full of long words, clichés and [...]

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How to succeed without a planner

September 20, 2010

A good planner, as I mentioned in my previous post, can be a real asset. Sometimes though, marketers can’t afford one. What do you do when that happens? You have to do some strategic thinking yourself. Yes, copywriters and art directors can think strategically like planners, too. My art director Jeff and I often have [...]

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What makes a good planner?

August 31, 2010

Some copywriters and art directors I know would say that question is a contradiction in terms. It’s like asking them, what makes a nice serial killer? For them, planners are people who mess up the creative process and prevent us from producing outstanding work. I don’t buy that view, at least not entirely. As a [...]

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