EDITORIALS
Hug Your Copywriter
Originally posted on The Denver Egotist.
As an ACD I spend a lot of time on conference calls, so it wasn't a big surprise that I found myself on one the other day. What was surprising was the energy on this one. Everyone was leaning in. People seemed more excited then usual. There was an unsaid understanding in the room and on the other end of the phone. It was like everyone suddenly remembered why they got into this business in the first place.
On the monitor was the topic conversation: One word—and a picture that added up to one huge idea. When I realized that the guy responsible for the concept was nowhere to be seen I started tallying up the titles in the room: Creative Director, Account Director, Associate Creative Director, Regional Account Director, Sr. Art Director, Creative Technologist, Planner—not to mention the clients and partner agencies on speaker-phone. Everyone was buzzing to bring an idea to life. I couldn't help but think to myself: "all these people finally have something worthwhile to do thanks to a imaginative, articulate copywriter." Thank god.
People don't work for people as much as they work for ideas. Nothing motivates or inspires us like a well-articulated thought. Technology doesn't drive business—ideas do, which is something that is easy to forget. As an industry we tend to value the flashy and new—over the tried and true, which is a big mistake. From my experience, no one is a more efficient generator of the ideas that drive our industry than a good-old copywriter. A good writer can articulate a vision for an ad, an agency, or a brand. A good writer shows us what it could be—what it should be, and can even outline a plan to get there.
For me it all boils down to this: If you're doing boring work it's probably because you have a boring writer. If you have a good one—love them, nurture them, and please excuse them for being a little weird.
Read more of Wade Campbell on his blog and on Twitter.
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Comments
Love it -- especially the last line. Here's how most agencies work: AE types often make the hiring decisions or at least heavily influence them. Too much importance on, "Do they look and act as I do?" of the words and thinking behind their portfolio. (Hint: the AE aint the best judge here, might as well have your CFO weigh in, too).
Good copywriters just aren't cut from that cloth. These are the boys and girls who ran with scissors, the impulsive and often unpredictable types. But it's along these fringes where brilliant ideas are born. And to the clients who secretly think they can write... that's a whole new column about buying the dog and doing your own barking.
Good stuff Dan. You should write that article and submit it to us. We'll post it and make you famous. Hell, we'll even offer it up to the rest of the Egotist network!
Thanks for posting...I couldn't agree more. (Though, I'll admit as a copywriter I'm bias.)
I think this applies to designers and even developers too. If your team is pushing the bar and creating exciting work, that energy is contagious. I was recently involved in pitching an idea our team was deeply and genuinely excited about to a client and it was incredible to see that excitement spread to their team as they saw how it could help their business. Resulted in a highly collaborative process and a successful end product.
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