A little poetic license never hurt anyone.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Ogilvy at it Again
Campaign Brief Asia has named Ogilvy and Mather the ‘Agency of the Year in Hong Kong’ for the 3rd straight year.
It’s all getting rather silly. I mean just look at this signature. I’m running out of room down there:
It’s all getting rather silly. I mean just look at this signature. I’m running out of room down there:
Status Update Number XXXX
Ideas. Ideas. Ideas. Ideas. Ideas.
You need a lot of ideas in this business.
Only about 1% ever get off the ground.
That’s why I keep pushing with new ideas.
100 headlines per head. 100 taglines per tag.
On the status update front, it has become near impossible for me to document this little endeavour of mine. At this point, it’s beyond my control. It’s up to the stars. So wish me luck.
You need a lot of ideas in this business.
Only about 1% ever get off the ground.
That’s why I keep pushing with new ideas.
100 headlines per head. 100 taglines per tag.
On the status update front, it has become near impossible for me to document this little endeavour of mine. At this point, it’s beyond my control. It’s up to the stars. So wish me luck.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Talent Show
Wieden and Kennedy recently held a competition to find some new talent for its Portland office.
Here’s one of the winners:
WK seeking
He documented his progress on a blog and had a cool slideshow to go with it.
Good idea, eh?
Personally, I got a kick out of this guy. His schtick was to go to every advertising site to ask people for their ideas. He stirred up controversy. He sparked debate. And he had the most notorious online presence of the lot.
Here’s one of the winners:
WK seeking
He documented his progress on a blog and had a cool slideshow to go with it.
Good idea, eh?
Personally, I got a kick out of this guy. His schtick was to go to every advertising site to ask people for their ideas. He stirred up controversy. He sparked debate. And he had the most notorious online presence of the lot.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
Lions and Dragons and Drummers
There are guys in bright red and yellow outfits running through the halls of Ogilvy banging on drums and clattering cymbals.
It’s a Chinese New Year tradition: The Lion Dance.
Outside a giant lion was engaged in a choreographed battle against some guy.
Very cool.
Stuff like this is why I love to work in foreign countries.
It’s a Chinese New Year tradition: The Lion Dance.
Outside a giant lion was engaged in a choreographed battle against some guy.
Very cool.
Stuff like this is why I love to work in foreign countries.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
The 100 to One Rule
I stumbled across Sally Hogshead’s blog the other day.
She’s a very accomplished copywriter from the States with her own agency now.
Either way, she was talking about how she used to write 100 lines for every one that she kept.
Here are 800 lines she wrote for a BMW ad. Of the eight they used, three won awards, so that’s pretty inspiring.
I have three headlines due on Monday. It’s Saturday, midnight, and I’m in the office. I have 250 written so far, only 50 to go.
She’s a very accomplished copywriter from the States with her own agency now.
Either way, she was talking about how she used to write 100 lines for every one that she kept.
Here are 800 lines she wrote for a BMW ad. Of the eight they used, three won awards, so that’s pretty inspiring.
I have three headlines due on Monday. It’s Saturday, midnight, and I’m in the office. I have 250 written so far, only 50 to go.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Skin of a Rhino, Soul of an Angel
Juniors, and students, from all over the world, find me through this blog.
They ask me things like, “How do I break into the industry? How do I find work in another country?” and, “What does it take to be a copywriter?”
I answer every email I get.
I think one of the reasons I am ranked as the #1 English copywriter on Google is because the site is useful for everyone. It’s a reference.
Either way, I usually direct them to ihaveanidea.org. It’s a great site. I tell them to read Hey Whipple Squeeze This, Pick Me, as well as Cutting Edge Advertising. And I point them here.
This is an excellent article by Suzanne Pope, a writer I admire: An Inconvenient Truth for Copywriters.
But what does it take?
1. Determination
2. Resilience
3. A sense of humour
4. Oh, and some skills help too
Personally, I have always seen impeccable spelling and grammar as criteria. After all, if writing is your craft, words are your tools. I have always felt that if one is a professional, they should know how to use their tools professionally.
When I come across something I’m not sure of, I look it up. I am constantly striving to improve. I have grammar reference pages bookmarked (sounds exciting doesn’t it?). I follow the lead of the New York Times (for American English) and the Guardian (for British).
Sometimes I look on ihaveanidea, the copywriters' watering hole, and I am a little dismayed.
Learn how to write like a copywriter, and edit like an editor, and you will be doing two jobs at once.
Just my two cents.
They ask me things like, “How do I break into the industry? How do I find work in another country?” and, “What does it take to be a copywriter?”
I answer every email I get.
I think one of the reasons I am ranked as the #1 English copywriter on Google is because the site is useful for everyone. It’s a reference.
Either way, I usually direct them to ihaveanidea.org. It’s a great site. I tell them to read Hey Whipple Squeeze This, Pick Me, as well as Cutting Edge Advertising. And I point them here.
This is an excellent article by Suzanne Pope, a writer I admire: An Inconvenient Truth for Copywriters.
But what does it take?
1. Determination
2. Resilience
3. A sense of humour
4. Oh, and some skills help too
Personally, I have always seen impeccable spelling and grammar as criteria. After all, if writing is your craft, words are your tools. I have always felt that if one is a professional, they should know how to use their tools professionally.
When I come across something I’m not sure of, I look it up. I am constantly striving to improve. I have grammar reference pages bookmarked (sounds exciting doesn’t it?). I follow the lead of the New York Times (for American English) and the Guardian (for British).
Sometimes I look on ihaveanidea, the copywriters' watering hole, and I am a little dismayed.
Learn how to write like a copywriter, and edit like an editor, and you will be doing two jobs at once.
Just my two cents.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
KISS
When we were in Australia, we made ads on shoestring budgets. This forced us to be inventive. And simple.
Howard and I came up with another ad the other day. Absolutely minimalist. It would cost peanuts too.
March 7th is hanging over my head like an anvil in a Road Runner cartoon.
Happy Valentines.
Howard and I came up with another ad the other day. Absolutely minimalist. It would cost peanuts too.
March 7th is hanging over my head like an anvil in a Road Runner cartoon.
Happy Valentines.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Back from Bangkok
It’s been a while since I’ve posted but I’ve been busy exploring.
I went to Thailand for Chinese New Year.
I rode colourful tuk tuks through clamoring streets and haggled for ill-fitting Ts. I had a chance to lounge out by the pool. I had a chance to think.
Now it’s back at it. I’m hoping we can shoot this week.
I went to Thailand for Chinese New Year.
I rode colourful tuk tuks through clamoring streets and haggled for ill-fitting Ts. I had a chance to lounge out by the pool. I had a chance to think.
Now it’s back at it. I’m hoping we can shoot this week.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
English Copywriter Pick of the Week
My One Show Volume 29 just arrived in the mail. I've seen most of the ads before, but there were a few new gems.
This spot took home a merit, but it's awesome.
This spot took home a merit, but it's awesome.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Super Bowl 2008
Well, every year it seems that I lose my bet against my dad. How the Pats could drop the ball at this point is beyond me.
Pssah. So much for football history.
Anyway, more to the point are the Super Bowl ads.
If this Cannes business ever pans out, I think that this would be a great mission for next year: To make a Super Bowl spot.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.
Either way, there were a few good ones this time around.
Here are some of my faves:
My parents absolutely love Night at the Roxbury, so they’d like this ad.
If you want to see them all, click this link.
Pssah. So much for football history.
Anyway, more to the point are the Super Bowl ads.
If this Cannes business ever pans out, I think that this would be a great mission for next year: To make a Super Bowl spot.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.
Either way, there were a few good ones this time around.
Here are some of my faves:
My parents absolutely love Night at the Roxbury, so they’d like this ad.
If you want to see them all, click this link.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Chatter
Argh, it’s cold. 8 degrees. 98% humidity. You can’t shake ‘the chill.'
Sure, scoff away.
It may be -43 in Canada, but in Canada, there are a few key differences.
-They don’t blast the air conditioning on the subway, in elevators and in office buildings.
-They have things like, you know, insulation, and windows that close all the way.
-Long underwear.
-A sense of hibernation.
In the land of the ice and snow, you know it’s going to be cold for a long, long time, so you buy winter clothes and heaters and whatnot.
Here, all month I’ve been hearing, ‘Oh, it will only be cold for a few more days.’ But it’s been a month now, and I’m still cold, sick and heater-less. Ugh.
Sure, scoff away.
It may be -43 in Canada, but in Canada, there are a few key differences.
-They don’t blast the air conditioning on the subway, in elevators and in office buildings.
-They have things like, you know, insulation, and windows that close all the way.
-Long underwear.
-A sense of hibernation.
In the land of the ice and snow, you know it’s going to be cold for a long, long time, so you buy winter clothes and heaters and whatnot.
Here, all month I’ve been hearing, ‘Oh, it will only be cold for a few more days.’ But it’s been a month now, and I’m still cold, sick and heater-less. Ugh.
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