Month: March 2015

Advertising lookalikes, plagiarism and rip-offs – there’s nothing new under the sun

| 27/03/2015

Here’s an interesting site (though for a professional copywriter a slightly depressing one). – Joe La Pompe It shows great advertising ideas that have then been reproduced a few years later (or sometimes just a few months down the line) for another client by another agency. Now, no advertising copywriter or art director worth their salt … Advertising lookalikes, plagiarism and rip-offs – there’s nothing new under the sun

Is this the worst spam email ever?

| 17/03/2015

The above email arrived in the spam filter of my email account today. That’s it in its entirety, apart from the blocked images, which I wasn’t about to open. Note the heading, which lacks any kind of promise, and actually starts with the word ‘Spam’. And look at the copy. Just two sentences that are … Is this the worst spam email ever?

10 pointers for copywriters going from permanent to freelance.

| 14/03/2015

This is aimed at people who have already worked as agency copywriters, particularly in the UK, but are looking to make the move from permanent to freelance. Here, in no particular order, are my top ten pieces of advice for going freelance. Avoid content mills and any request for lots of articles/blog posts that pay … 10 pointers for copywriters going from permanent to freelance.

Clever advertising – or brilliant strategy?

| 10/03/2015

A last word on this cleverness business. One way to get really, really clever (and effective) with your advertising is to be clever with your strategy. In the days when not many people had cars, Michelin had a problem. Not enough people were buying their tyres. So did they run ads extolling the virtues of … Clever advertising – or brilliant strategy?

Clever copywriting – where does wordplay fit in?

| 07/03/2015

As a follow-on from my previous post, ‘Should advertising be clever’, this entry is about wordplay. Perhaps the commonest form of wordplay is the pun. When I started out as an advertising copywriter, one of the first lessons I was taught was to try and avoid puns. For instance, if you’re selling an inexpensive shirt, … Clever copywriting – where does wordplay fit in?

Is your copywriting bent?

| 05/03/2015

As a follow-up to my earlier entry about whether copywriting should be clever, this post takes a closer look at what makes a clever ad, what makes a dull one, and what makes a largely incomprehensible one. The best print ads are normally those where the headline and the picture work in harmony, together communicating … Is your copywriting bent?

Should copywriting be clever?

| 04/03/2015

Someone once entered this question as a search string and ended up at my site. They wouldn’t have found a direct answer there at the time, so I thought I’d give you my take on it now. My response is no, not really. Not at the expense of far more important attributes. It’s much more … Should copywriting be clever?

Advertising lookalikes, plagiarism and rip-offs – there’s nothing new under the sun

Is this the worst spam email ever?

10 pointers for copywriters going from permanent to freelance.

Clever advertising – or brilliant strategy?

Clever copywriting – where does wordplay fit in?

Is your copywriting bent?

Should copywriting be clever?

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