Monday, April 30, 2007
Limbo
No idea what’s going to happen now. My contract is up. But we’ll see what happens after the holiday (tomorrow). I’ll keep you posted.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Celebrities
Workwise, I have absolutely no idea what is going on in my life right now. Who knows what will happen next week...
In other news, Maria is here. She's going to live in HK with me now. But they have just offered her a part in a movie in China, so it looks like I'll be dating a moviestar. Cool.
In other news, Maria is here. She's going to live in HK with me now. But they have just offered her a part in a movie in China, so it looks like I'll be dating a moviestar. Cool.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Remuneration and Amenities Are More Than Just Hard to Spell
Do you work so hard that your fingers no longer have bones, much like a fish’s?
Do you have a smile warm enough to grow tomatoes?
Have the words ‘Impossible!’ ‘Not a chance!’ and ‘Hmm, that seems unlikely’ never crossed your lips?
Then we have just the position for you.
My first stab at a recruitment ad – I love my job.
Do you have a smile warm enough to grow tomatoes?
Have the words ‘Impossible!’ ‘Not a chance!’ and ‘Hmm, that seems unlikely’ never crossed your lips?
Then we have just the position for you.
My first stab at a recruitment ad – I love my job.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
Your Friendly Neighbourhood Freelance Copywriter
About two months ago I decided that I would try to take on the challenge of getting #1 for freelance copywriter (see here) in the google rankings. In a weird twist of fate, I have managed to get #1 and #2 for freelance copywriter on yahoo and msn respectively, but I am still nonexistent on google for those words.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Status Report VII
Okay, how am I doing?
Well, I’m still here in Hong Kong. And I’m still at Ogilvy and Mather, the biggest agency around. So that’s coo. But I’m still freelance, still at Step 8 and still looking to complete my mission. Hmm.
I am beginning to think that by cornering the freelance English copywriter market I have created a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Things were really hopping for two weeks as I was covering for the OgilvyOne writer on top of doing all the O&M stuff, but he's back now, so things have slowed down a bit. Not being swamped always makes me a bit edgy, as my contract is up at the end of the month...
Oh, nevermind, it looks like they're going to keep me for May as well. Excellent.
Well, I’m still here in Hong Kong. And I’m still at Ogilvy and Mather, the biggest agency around. So that’s coo. But I’m still freelance, still at Step 8 and still looking to complete my mission. Hmm.
I am beginning to think that by cornering the freelance English copywriter market I have created a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Things were really hopping for two weeks as I was covering for the OgilvyOne writer on top of doing all the O&M stuff, but he's back now, so things have slowed down a bit. Not being swamped always makes me a bit edgy, as my contract is up at the end of the month...
Oh, nevermind, it looks like they're going to keep me for May as well. Excellent.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Extra Extra
My latest column is out.
Sustainability Advertising and its Vanguards
Within a few hours of it being published I received an email from a guy trying to set up a sustainable agriculture project in Leaf Rapids.
Sustainability Advertising and its Vanguards
Within a few hours of it being published I received an email from a guy trying to set up a sustainable agriculture project in Leaf Rapids.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Shangri-La is in your Mind, But Your Buffalo is Not
With the Olympics in Beijing fast approaching, the Chinese government is looking to improve their level of English and put an end to their so-called ‘Chinglish’ signage.
English copywriter link
Sounds like a job for a Freelance English Copywriter in Asia does it not?
English copywriter link
Sounds like a job for a Freelance English Copywriter in Asia does it not?
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Wait A Minute, How Come I Never See Ads Like the Ones Below?
Creatives in advertising agencies are more often than not bound to briefs. These briefs are often very stringent in terms of how irreverently creative you can actually be (in the far-out sense of the ads below).
In an ideal world, if everyone in the agency and everyone on the client side are pulling together, the brief will be looking for a single piece of communication – just one message.
After all, it’s a piece of news.
Usually, this will be something like, hey, if you top up your account by x amount, we’ll make you an X member with no fees on your daily transactions, or, we have this new flavour of chip, you really should try it, or, this new gum blows the biggest bubbles there is, etc.
Then, there are the other variables.
It needs to speak in the same character as the brand. It needs to grab your attention in the right tone and manner to appeal to the target market. And it needs to be captivating, or form a relationship instantaneously with the consumer in one way or another, ie it is tactile, interactive, entertaining and/or thought provoking.
Then, you have to do something that appeals to the sensibilities of the client. Brand character or no, the lowest appetite for risk usually prevails – which is unfortunate but realistic considering people like to have jobs and it is generally easier to lose a job after taking a risk.
And let’s not forget who is paying for this ad in the first place.
But clients are not only ones who kill ideas – focus groups, partners, and more than anyone, the creatives themselves. I have to confess to killing millions of ideas over the years, please forgive me.
Either way, only when all of these elements are satisfied do you have a good ad.
This explains why there is such a huge gap between the ads you see in annuals and the ads you see on TV. A lot of the award-winning work creatives are exposed to doesn’t have to run this gauntlet.
The stuff that you see in mass production that has ducked, weaved, been stabbed at, trampled on and survived to break through at the end – that’s the truly great stuff, propped up by great teams. Believe me, it’s hard to get that many people in agreement, so when everything goes according to plan it truly is an achievement.
Example? Tetley Tea - Doctor's Office. This one of one Maria's favourites, and she's right in the target market.
Now just imagine what it must be like to get a movie made…
I’m lucky at Ogilvy, because right now I get to work on a client that believes in, and readily publishes, ads that are a testament to the power of clever creative. It’s a great opportunity for me.
Ok, back to thinking…
In an ideal world, if everyone in the agency and everyone on the client side are pulling together, the brief will be looking for a single piece of communication – just one message.
After all, it’s a piece of news.
Usually, this will be something like, hey, if you top up your account by x amount, we’ll make you an X member with no fees on your daily transactions, or, we have this new flavour of chip, you really should try it, or, this new gum blows the biggest bubbles there is, etc.
Then, there are the other variables.
It needs to speak in the same character as the brand. It needs to grab your attention in the right tone and manner to appeal to the target market. And it needs to be captivating, or form a relationship instantaneously with the consumer in one way or another, ie it is tactile, interactive, entertaining and/or thought provoking.
Then, you have to do something that appeals to the sensibilities of the client. Brand character or no, the lowest appetite for risk usually prevails – which is unfortunate but realistic considering people like to have jobs and it is generally easier to lose a job after taking a risk.
And let’s not forget who is paying for this ad in the first place.
But clients are not only ones who kill ideas – focus groups, partners, and more than anyone, the creatives themselves. I have to confess to killing millions of ideas over the years, please forgive me.
Either way, only when all of these elements are satisfied do you have a good ad.
This explains why there is such a huge gap between the ads you see in annuals and the ads you see on TV. A lot of the award-winning work creatives are exposed to doesn’t have to run this gauntlet.
The stuff that you see in mass production that has ducked, weaved, been stabbed at, trampled on and survived to break through at the end – that’s the truly great stuff, propped up by great teams. Believe me, it’s hard to get that many people in agreement, so when everything goes according to plan it truly is an achievement.
Example? Tetley Tea - Doctor's Office. This one of one Maria's favourites, and she's right in the target market.
Now just imagine what it must be like to get a movie made…
I’m lucky at Ogilvy, because right now I get to work on a client that believes in, and readily publishes, ads that are a testament to the power of clever creative. It’s a great opportunity for me.
Ok, back to thinking…
Monday, April 16, 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
The Year Was 2081, And Everyone Was Finally Equal
Strangely enough, I had a dream about Kurt Vonnegut last night. I dreamt that he had come up with the premise to Harrison Bergeron, my favourite short story, while working as a copywriter for an advertising agency.
The story is set in the future, and the law of the time has allowed everyone to be equal. To maintain the equality of the citizens, a Handicapper General keeps those with talent, or brains, or good looks down through means of weights and annoying noises and masks.
Anyway, Harrison is this great looking, strong, smart, talented dude and he is weighed down with all this stuff, including annoying noises that go through his head every few minutes to prevent him from formulating a solid thought (that would make him superior to the rest). Either way, he falls for this ballerina who is also uglified to an acceptable level by the Handicapper General.
He runs off with her, they tear off all their shackles to normalcy and float to the ceiling in a beautiful dance before being blown away by the Handicapper General, this time she’s wielding a shotgun, however.
It’s a great story. I haven’t read it since I was a kid, but it still sticks with me.
I figured that Kurt Vonnegut must have come up with the concept when he was attempting to craft beautiful copy against the chaotic backdrop of an advertising agency, where there are crazy noises and buzzing buzzing and new distractions every minute to try to throw off your concentration.
So long Kurt, R.I.P.
p.s. Checking it out now, I can't find the agency he worked for, but he did write press releases apparently.
The story is set in the future, and the law of the time has allowed everyone to be equal. To maintain the equality of the citizens, a Handicapper General keeps those with talent, or brains, or good looks down through means of weights and annoying noises and masks.
Anyway, Harrison is this great looking, strong, smart, talented dude and he is weighed down with all this stuff, including annoying noises that go through his head every few minutes to prevent him from formulating a solid thought (that would make him superior to the rest). Either way, he falls for this ballerina who is also uglified to an acceptable level by the Handicapper General.
He runs off with her, they tear off all their shackles to normalcy and float to the ceiling in a beautiful dance before being blown away by the Handicapper General, this time she’s wielding a shotgun, however.
It’s a great story. I haven’t read it since I was a kid, but it still sticks with me.
I figured that Kurt Vonnegut must have come up with the concept when he was attempting to craft beautiful copy against the chaotic backdrop of an advertising agency, where there are crazy noises and buzzing buzzing and new distractions every minute to try to throw off your concentration.
So long Kurt, R.I.P.
p.s. Checking it out now, I can't find the agency he worked for, but he did write press releases apparently.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Believing Your Own Hype
One of the strangest phenomenon about being a copywriter is when you start to become persuaded by your own writing.
I am halfway through writing about a product and all the while I am thinking, this is great, this product is fantastic! Here’s a company that really understands my needs, and they are speaking my language. Where can I get this thing?
And then I’m like, oh yeah, I wrote that, of course they understand me. Hmm.
Either way, I’m going to buy it.
I am halfway through writing about a product and all the while I am thinking, this is great, this product is fantastic! Here’s a company that really understands my needs, and they are speaking my language. Where can I get this thing?
And then I’m like, oh yeah, I wrote that, of course they understand me. Hmm.
Either way, I’m going to buy it.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
A Holiday in Zhuhai
I just got back from five very relaxing days in China.
Zhuhai is deemed the ‘romance capital’ of China, and it is a beautiful place indeed, with a nice beach and plenty of green. The pollution there, however, was outrageous. A cloud of smog covered you from head to toe everywhere you went like an ominous mist. There was no sign of the sky at all, and if there was a sun, it was nowhere to be seen.
There were some amazing restaurants as well, which would have been perfect little crab shacks on the water, but when the rats ran by and no one seemed to care, we decided to move on.
At least I got to live large in a deluxe suite for about $20 CAD a night, which was great.
Now I'm back at work - as a new first, I'm writing for credit cards.
Zhuhai is deemed the ‘romance capital’ of China, and it is a beautiful place indeed, with a nice beach and plenty of green. The pollution there, however, was outrageous. A cloud of smog covered you from head to toe everywhere you went like an ominous mist. There was no sign of the sky at all, and if there was a sun, it was nowhere to be seen.
There were some amazing restaurants as well, which would have been perfect little crab shacks on the water, but when the rats ran by and no one seemed to care, we decided to move on.
At least I got to live large in a deluxe suite for about $20 CAD a night, which was great.
Now I'm back at work - as a new first, I'm writing for credit cards.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Homework
It's nice to have a five day weekend for Easter, however I have six ads for three clients due on Tuesday, which means I will be working over the weekend.
I like learning about new clients. To write for them you need to be well versed in what they are all about. I enjoy finding out the background on why they are communicating with their target market in the first place.
It's always fun to get briefed on a campaign, analyze its objectives, and think, yeah, that will definitely work.
Clients would be amazed to see firsthand how many clever people are working away at solving their problems.
Consumers would be absolutely shocked to know the mechanics behind the ads they flick through without a second thought...this is such a strange industry.
Happy Easter.
I like learning about new clients. To write for them you need to be well versed in what they are all about. I enjoy finding out the background on why they are communicating with their target market in the first place.
It's always fun to get briefed on a campaign, analyze its objectives, and think, yeah, that will definitely work.
Clients would be amazed to see firsthand how many clever people are working away at solving their problems.
Consumers would be absolutely shocked to know the mechanics behind the ads they flick through without a second thought...this is such a strange industry.
Happy Easter.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
High Performance Copywriting
I wrote about ten ads today for three different clients. So busy! I am jumping back and forth between Ogilvy and OgilvyOne so I'm swamped.
There's a five day weekend coming up. Hong Kong may have long hours, but they know how to enjoy their holidays.
There's a five day weekend coming up. Hong Kong may have long hours, but they know how to enjoy their holidays.
Monday, April 02, 2007
So Far So Good
I'm at Ogilvy now. I like it. I didn't have much to do for the first few hours so I just read up everything I could get my hands on about the brand I will be working on. I absorbed the website, its blogs, the template guidelines, old ads, current ads, everything I could find to get a feel for the voice of the brand character.
It is one cheerful character, that is for certain.
Suddenly, I was swamped with six assignments at once. OgilvyOne is in the same office, so the next thing I knew I had work coming at me from every direction, on very short deadlines.
Everyone here is very nice, and the creatives are mixed in with the suits. There are no partitions, the whole place is like a giant star and I have a great view of the city from where I'm sitting.
It's coo. I do miss the people at Publicis though.
Maria came to town last week (thus the lack of posts) and we had a great time at the Peak and Stanley and Repulse Bay. Now, she's in China taking her English teaching course. I think I'll try to visit her this weekend.
It is one cheerful character, that is for certain.
Suddenly, I was swamped with six assignments at once. OgilvyOne is in the same office, so the next thing I knew I had work coming at me from every direction, on very short deadlines.
Everyone here is very nice, and the creatives are mixed in with the suits. There are no partitions, the whole place is like a giant star and I have a great view of the city from where I'm sitting.
It's coo. I do miss the people at Publicis though.
Maria came to town last week (thus the lack of posts) and we had a great time at the Peak and Stanley and Repulse Bay. Now, she's in China taking her English teaching course. I think I'll try to visit her this weekend.
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