I want to be as cool as THAT guy

Over the past few months, I haven’t talked much about what I actually do at work. Basically, I write copy. Yes, as a copywriter, I write copy. Shocking, isn’t it? But it’s definitely not as easy as it sounds. There’s so much strategy, thinking, brainstorming, planning, concepting and fact checking that goes into ever single tiny idea that’s created. When you take everything into account, it’s a pretty involved process, especially when the client steps in and decides to take a new direction or (GASP!) rewrite the copy themselves. That, my friends, is the absolute worst.

Copy usually goes through many rounds of reviews and revisions with a million different people. With so many cooks in the kitchen, it’s easy to see why there’s so much bad copy out there. I’m looking at you, Folger’s Christmas commercial. Remember that one? With the brother coming home from Africa to surprise his family for Christmas? If not, this should jog your memory. The copy was so poorly written that it just ended up coming off as creepy, not sentimental. Instead of being cute, it seemed to me like the brother and sister had a different kind of relationship, if you know what I mean.

But then there’s the copy that makes me proud of my profession. Once in awhile I’ll stumble upon a really great print ad, a hilarious commercial or another copywriter’s portfolio and it reminds me why I wanted to be a copywriter in the first place.

Yesterday, as I was leafing through an old copy of People magazine (hey, it was a slow afternoon), I stumbled upon an article about people going to extremes to get a job. The first part was about a highly imaginative copywriter named Lawson Clarke. He created the website entitled Male Copywriter to show off his…assets. (NOTE: Probably not suitable for work) I was so intrigued by the write-up that I immediately checked out the site. It’s amazing. Not to mention totally hilarious. The main page sets quite a sassy tone and let me tell you, his body of work does not disappoint. I went from laughing out loud at the copious amounts of hair and one very strategically placed TV, to being completely inspired by this guy’s talent…and his moxie.

So go ahead and check it out when it’s safe. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. I’m sure you’ve seen some of his work before. Remember those Carnival commercials? I can’t stop looking through his site. And no, it’s not because I’m dazzled by his manly chest hair and sexy little ‘stache. It’s because one day I truly hope to be as cool as that guy.