Editor's note: This is a guest post by fellow copywriter Jamie Hudson. OK, so I’m generalising and being just a tad subjective. And I only used the word ‘crap’ because it made a nice headline. So let me be more specific. A great many straplines you see these days are irrelevant, forgettable and most unforgiveable, boring. It wouldn’t be so bad if...
I get loads of direct mail. I give most of it a cursory glance – more out of professional interest than anything else – before tossing it in the bin. And you probably do the same. It seems that Amnesty knows this. Because their latest direct mail piece has on its front cover: This flyer will ask you to make six choices....
This is the second part of my interview with Andy Maslen. (Read part one here where Andy reveals the inspiration for his latest book, what he really thinks about content mills and why he proofreads his tweets.) TI: So tell us a bit more about your background Andy. How did you get into this copywriting malarkey? AM: I was booted out of...
I’m a little giddy about this month’s interview. I’m delighted to be joined by copywriting expert/god/guru Andy Maslen, who’s also a well-known speaker, coach and author. During our conversation we discussed everything from Andy’s latest book and the future of copywriting to content mills and Andy’s goal-setting paperclip system! We talked for a while. So part two of this interview is...
Out and about over the holiday period I snapped these lovely pics on my mobile phone. You know those posters that people make which have loads or ClipArt, WordArt and about six different colours? This isn’t one of them. This 'poster' was stuck to the ladies’ loo wall of a pub in Battersea, where I was watching the footie last week. Times...
Editor’s note: This is a guest post by fellow copywriter Jamie Hudson. Sound familiar? The 2009 model has a 220-horsepower V8 engine, anti-lock brakes, traction control, automatic safety restraint system and both front and side-impact airbags. Or how about this? This ring features a 1.4 carat, pear-shaped cut white diamond with an SI1 clarity grade and an H color rating. They’re pretty impressive aren’t they?...
These are my two favourite mugs in the office right now. Which one I choose depends on how I think the day is going to pan out. Today is a Keep Calm day. Send me your favourite mug shots and I'll feature them here....
Continuing our occasional series where we look at the reasons why techie types shouldn't be allowed to write copy. Hmmmm. So what is it you do exactly? We're dedicated to providing results oriented, cost efficient solutions for customer outreach by employing existing and proprietary technologies that maximize exposure and obtain a leadership position in your market through the use of [software] our...
Is there anything more tedious than waiting for your baggage at the airport? It's enough to make your holiday joie de vivre go right out the window. So there I was at London's Gatwick Airport at the weekend, waiting with breathless anticipation for my case to arrive, when I spied this ad for Gatwick Express, the fast train service into central...
Clearing out some old magazines and newspapers this week, I came across this great little ad from Hiscox, a UK based insurance company. The ad explains how they believe in straightforward jargon-free policies and how they're committed to using plain English. Hooray. Couldn't we all do with a bit of plain ol' English from our insurance companies? Now I don't about you,...
