the humble hang tag

it’s there when I return home with my new clothes, no doubt a well-designed and colorful little reminder of what i’m about to enjoy. it’s not big enough to be too flashy or gaudy or cumbersome, and sometimes it’s in a clever shape that i simply have to admire: it’s the hang tag, which presents another opportunity to impart brand personality.

if you don’t pay attention to a hang tag, then it’s not pulling its branding weight, even if it is a lightweight. it should be your last reminder of the unique brand copy voice, graphic style and overall message. just as with direct mail or billboards, it can be oddly shaped and have strategic cut-outs, even a scent for tucking into a drawer as a clothes freshener (and brand reminder for the user). it can bring a smile to your face and remind you of a website. it can double as a luggage tag, or it can be made of seeded paper to present you with flowers or herbs later.

the next time you snip a tag off of something, take a closer look at it to see what it’s really saying. if it’s up to its task, then it’s a sweet little reminder of why you purchased the item.

— kim taylor

billboards: big potential for interactive creativity

if you have a fertile imagination, billboards present an irresistible challenge because they’re a flexible platform.  you can:

• have material blow in the wind
• grow something on them
• utilize the rain and other elements
• feature strategic lighting, strategic cutouts, mirrors, odd shapes, things moving, spinning, dripping, flashing, twinkling, or smoking.
• create interactive billboards with cameras (as in Times Square)
• waft a fragrance

as Luke Sullivan pointed out in “Hey Whipple, Squeeze This!” if you create a mediocre billboard, it’s going to be mediocre on a grand scale, so it has to be  interesting.

McDonald’s had greens growing on a billboard to advertise its fresh salad bar offerings, and created a round egg billboard that cracked open every day to advertise breakfast meals.

if you can think of a way for people to interact with your billboard, then you’re golden: they can text in a response to a question or game, or stand before a camera to be blown up onto a big screen. maybe readers could pick basil leaves off a billboard for Primavera Spaghetti Sauce, or capture bubbles spewing from a billboard for Mr. Bubbles. birth announcements posted on the Target Baby Facebook page were translated to a billboard in the los angeles Kodak Theater, then a picture was taken to pass along to the proud parents, as an example of interactivity from Wieden + Kennedy (portland).

highway billboards should be eye-catching and inspire comment or action. drivers typically have 8 seconds to read them, unless they’re stuck in traffic for hours, in which case, an interactive billboard would be perfect for whiling the hours away.

check out these incredible billboards, and let us know your favorites: 50 extraordinary and attractive billboards.

by
kim taylor

for more information on our membership and events, visit The Copy Lab.

show my portfolio and have my ideas pilfered?

this question is asked with trepidation by copywriters, and by anyone who shares creative work: scriptwriters, authors pitching books, inventors, app developers, fashion and graphic designers. it’s a question of trust, and the answer is obvious. you must share your ideas or they’ll gather dust, and someone else will think of them eventually anyway — or something very close that will arouse your suspicion.

there are precautions you can take. you can password-protect your online portfolio (you need an online portfolio) or you can send a pdf of your work, but the best defense is to forge a good working relationship with anyone who wants to view your portfolio. the idea being that the real thing (you, hired) is so much more prolific and reliable than a one-off cheap theft, even if you’re simply kept in mind for a later hire.

also, your attitude should be “help yourself — there are 50,000 more where that one came from” because if you’re a working copywriter, then you’re in the business of generating endless ideas. you’re an idea fountain, tapped into an eternal flame of creativity.

if someone does steal your idea, feel sorry for that pathetic person with such a limited imagination. it’s better to have an endless bounty than to be the empty shell of a person who grubs around for someone else’s ideas.  but keep in mind that people really do come up with eerily similar ideas – i’ve seen it happen often in classes.

i once sent a script to a friend at Paramount, and a year later a movie that was clearly my script was released with a virtually identical plot, and the same beginning and ending. flabbergasted, i researched the screenwriter and discovered that “my movie” was actually based on his own book, which was conveniently published well before i had ever written the script. so sometimes ideas are just in the air.

don’t worry about someone purloining your unique concepts, worry more about presenting them before someone else does.

have you ever had someone lift your idea? if so, what did you do about it?

by
kim taylor

for more information on our membership and events, visit The Copy Lab.

ten alternative advertising tips

surrounded by good company and a few cocktails, we congregated in our own section of a plush, art deco lounge in the flatiron district last night. Meanwhile, R/GA senior copywriter jenna livingston led us in a two-hour alternative advertising workshop, complete with creative brief and thorough q&a session. the highlight of the night was hearing ideas from attendees themselves, who came up with some of the most ingenious and hilarious non-traditional campaigns (or should I say “antics”) that very well could be the beginnings of the next big viral ad campaign. unfortunately, that’s all i’m able to share. you really had to be there! but as a quick recap, here are ten great tips jenna shared last night: 

1. if you want to work for a certain agency, include work in your book that would appeal to them. make ads with similar clients you would like to work on.
2. contact creative directors whose work you admire. Creativity and AgencySpy are great places to learn about industry news and agency happenings.
3. do side projects, like Starbucks Spelling, that can be added to your book to make you stand out.
4. ideas that can be done inexpensively or free are a major plus for attracting agencies looking to hire creative talent.
5. in interactive, the idea should always come first. then figure out what the technology is (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, etc).
6. bounce ideas off of other people. working alone is good, but can only get you so far. you never know when something someone says could spark a whole new idea and lead to an even better direction.
7. you should try to add new work to your book every six months.
8. ask for help. offer to pay other ad people to help you improve your work. giving a junior designer a couple of bucks to make your work look good will make you more desirable. same goes for asking writers to help out.
9. go on artistic dates. take time out of your week to see a movie, go to a museum, people watch, and get some inspiration.
10. many people have great ideas but never make them happen. go for it! you have nothing to lose.

for those of you who attended last night and have other key points you’d like to share, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below. and don’t forget to sign up for next month’s speed-date networking event!

by
kendria smith

creative brief for VisitMexico.com

the client:

a coalition of 12 high-end mexican resorts, 4 of the country’s best restaurants, and the Aeromexico airline is financing a campaign to reassure luxury travelers that Mexico is a safe, often opulent, and uniquely fulfilling cultural destination and experience. they’ve created a website to that effect –www.VisitMexico.com

the client’s target:

upscale travelers (people who appreciate spas, fine dining, historical sites, art and culture)

the creative challenge via alternative advertising:

find a unique way to appeal to the client’s targets

benefits:

• Mexico is sunny, warm, welcoming – lots of natural beauty and ruins
• the cuisine is fresh, distinctive, delicious – both local and global influence
• architecture, art, music, theater, film, dance and other cultural offerings are unique and sophisticated; world class restaurants, spas and resorts

alt advertising challenges to resonate with client’s targets and draw people to VisitMexico.com.

choose any that appeal:

1. create a coffee sleeve for VisitMexico.com: what would it say?
2. if you were going to create a scavenger hunt for Visit Mexico, where would participants go, what would they do, and what would they find?
3. if you set up a Visit Mexico bus in times square, what would you put inside of it that had an interactive element?
4. Visit Mexico wants to do something in the lobby of the MoMA to attract upscale travelers, and wants to partner with another brand or brands.  what can be done in that space, and which co-brand(s) would be a perfect fit?
5. brainstorm a visit mexico cab top in any weird shape imaginable with copy and image.
6. imagine a bus stop shelter presentation for Visit Mexico, which can incorporate scents, mirrors, odd shapes and architecture (example: for Visit China it could be a pagoda shape).
7. what kind of fill-in-the-blank print ad can you imagine for Visit Mexico? (example: a Crunch gym print ad could let the reader draw in his or her ideal arms, abs and legs in Fitness magazine).
8. what kind of Visit Mexico app or phone-based game can you imagine that would resonate with the targets?
9. just as Honest Tea set up a street “experiment” to see which U.S. city had the most honest residents — by leaving bottles of tea out to grab and expecting payment on the honor system (with a nearby hidden camera) – what kind of experiment could Visit Mexico conduct?

by
kim taylor

talking shop with jenna livingston

we’re very excited for our october workshop led by R/GA’s stellar senior copywriter and Webby honoree jenna livingston. as she prepares to share her knowledge about the world of alternative advertising this wednesday, here’s a little background on the woman behind the words:

CL: what do you love most about working in advertising as a copywriter?

JL: i love going on production and seeing many months of hard work come to life. casting is really fun too. i like making things from start to finish. it’s like giving birth. I think.

CL: if you weren’t a copywriter, what’s your career plan b?

JL: i’d do something with kids. their imaginations are limitless and you have to be creative with them. you always have to be thinking of different ways to make them laugh and keep them entertained.

CL: where do you get inspiration for your more unconventional campaign ideas?

JL: i look for holes in culture and try to fix problems that have yet to be solved. like with Starbucks Spelling, for example. it’s a user-generated Tumblr i created that collects horribly misspelled names on Starbucks cups. before that people were just uploading photos of their misspelled cup. i created a central place where everyone can share their cup, and laugh at other misspellings.

CL: what are some of your favorite websites? who are you following these days?

JL: i like sites where i can learn something. Business Insider, Huffington Post, and Fast Company are all good. The New York Times is great when i have some quiet time. but usually, i get my news from Twitter. i enjoy following comedians and other writers and people with a good sense of humor.

CL: do you have a favorite app?

JL: swackett is currently my favorite app. it’s an unusual, unexpected way to get the weather. and it tells you what you should wear for the day. saves me 20 minutes. i also like Dark Sky. it tells you exactly when it’s going to rain and when it will stop.

CL: what’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?

JL: only put in your book what you love.

by
kendria smith

for more info and to sign up for jenna’s alternative advertising workshop, visit The Copy Lab.

tips for surviving meeting overload

we’ve all been at the meeting that feels interminable. the person in charge is shuffling through papers, or speaking in a monotonous tone, or there’s no end in sight or agenda. or there’s an agenda, but people meander blithely off topic and take merciless tangents. you dream of being able to do something more constructive — like your work.

here are some tips for reclaiming your sanity, and expanding work time:

1. ask your boss if someone at the meeting can fill you in later, because you’re on a creative roll and don’t want to stop working. extra points for being so inspired.
2. if the meeting is mandatory, and you suspect no one would buy your “on a creative roll” excuse anyway, then jot down work ideas as you’re listening. just as some people take better notes when simultaneously doodling, you may find paying attention easier when you’re able to simultaneously jot down an idea. be sure to participate in the meeting though, so it doesn’t seem like you’re working on your novel.
3. honesty is truly the best policy – bosses need and appreciate feedback. if you can’t manage to slip in some work at the meeting, then be frank with your boss and say you need a better balance of work vs. meeting time for your projects. your boss should recognize the magnificence of this request. you should be instantly knighted.
4. if you have a boss who doesn’t appreciate your quest to work more beyond meetings, and you’re expected to fully participate in lots of meetings by talking and strategizing, then you may have to concede that your job is to be in meetings – at least for the most part.
5. if you have to work overtime in order to meet deadlines, then you’ve reached that proverbial fork in the road where you must ask yourself if it’s worth it. Ideally the answer will be yes. and that’s how you deal with it. if the answer is no, then join The Copy Lab, network with people from other agencies and recruiters, and find a better job with a more satisfying meetings-to-work-time ratio.

how do you deal with meeting overload? send advice!

by kim taylor

for more information on our membership and events, visit The Copy Lab.

know what sticks in my _____?

when two parties communicate well with one another they tend to finish each other’s sentences.

the present AXA Financial and La Quinta Inns & Suites campaigns ignore this truth to their folly.

both creative concepts rest on everyday idioms even the most moronic Morning Joe viewer would know.

for AXA, it’s the “800 lb __________ __ ___ ____,” a not-too-subtle nag to stop putting off retirement planning.

(AXA Equitable’s 800lb gorilla joy ride commercial)

two of the good-looking La Quinta ad series feature well-rested road warriors getting  “a leg __ __ ___ ____________” and having  their “ducks __ _  ___” for a client meeting.

(La Quinta leg commerical)   (La Quinta row commerical)

even accepting pt barnum’s “nobody ever went  broke _______(enough already – ed.),” i’m missing something here.

why would you state the obvious and rob your audience of the satisfaction to be had from paying off these sight gags.

who chose to mute those playing along at home? i would like to think it was the client, not the copywriter.

in these days of fragmented media, we keep hearing how ‘engagement’ is the end all and be all.

nothing to it. take your cue from Wheel of Fortune. let your audiences interact with your message.

grant them the wits to complete your thought, finish your…

by
jim cronin

jim cronin is president of BCA Marketing Communications in rye brook, ny

for more information on our membership and events, visit The Copy Lab.

what kind of person becomes a copywriter?

i’ve had a few people ask me if they’re suited for copywriting.

copywriters come in all flavors and sizes, with backgrounds that include playwriting, scriptwriting, journalism, PR writing, catalog writing, sketch comedy, linguistics, fiction writing, editing, marketing, and account management.

do you love words? are you interested in cultural nuances, or psychology, comedy, food, drink, parenthood, childhood, pets, music, fashion, sports, or the arts? if you do crossword puzzles, or know latin, or love film and fiction, or if you’re a polyglot with a gimlet eye for the persuasive, you can be a copywriter.

if you relish slang and love to communicate, you can be a copywriter.

if you don’t mind rewriting and polishing, then reworking, then starting over, then reworking again, you can be a copywriter.

If you can take negative feedback with grace and a somewhat philosophical attitude, if you can sit through long and tedious meetings, and if you can work well both on your own and in teams, you can be a copywriter.

if you get excited by creative possibilities, if ideas spew forth and unfurl like dazzling fireworks, and if the mere thought of being a copywriter excites you, then welcome to The Copy Lab: you are already a copywriter at heart.

if you are a copywriter, how did you know that you wanted to write? what’s your writing background for bridging into advertising?

by
kim taylor

for more information on our membership and events, visit The Copy Lab.

6 reasons not to miss this!

Creatives: The Copy Lab has R/GA’s award-winning copywriter Jenna Livingston on deck to give the low-down on crafting amazing alternative and experiential concepts (plus R/GA creative recruiters will be there!) oct. 24, 7-9:30 @ flatiron lounge. for info & to sign up: www.thecopylabnyc.com/Events