I'm taking a much-needed holiday – far, far from JCWs and the wonderful world of advertising.
I leave you with this song, which has a soft spot in my heart - am certain you can guess why. (Clue: it's all in the title.)
See you on the flip-side.
Happy sigh.
26 August 2011
Emailed by a JCW this morning:
Huckster (huck·ster)
Pronunciation:/ˈhəkstər/
noun
Huckster (huck·ster)
Pronunciation:/ˈhəkstər/
noun
- a person who sells small items, either door-to-door or from a stall or small store.
- a mercenary person eager to make a profit out of anything, typically products of questionable value.
- a publicity agent or advertising copywriter, especially for radio or television.
Every now and then, they surprise and delight me.
Happy sigh.
23 August 2011
While reviewing an in-store live read:
Me: You need to advise them on what to do if they've lost their card or don't have it with them.
JCW: Oh, like if you've lost your card: tough cheese!
Sigh.
Me: You need to advise them on what to do if they've lost their card or don't have it with them.
JCW: Oh, like if you've lost your card: tough cheese!
Sigh.
15 August 2011
Me: Have you checked your document thoroughly?
JCW: Yes.
Me: Are you sure?
JCW: Yes.
Me (after reading through copy): Is the name of the farm Willow Bridge or Willow Creek?
JCW: Oh. Willow Creek. Willow Bridge is a mall.
Sigh.
JCW: Yes.
Me: Are you sure?
JCW: Yes.
Me (after reading through copy): Is the name of the farm Willow Bridge or Willow Creek?
JCW: Oh. Willow Creek. Willow Bridge is a mall.
Sigh.
5 August 2011
During first review, circles inconsistencies and explains:
Me: You need to make sure that the way you write the name of this club card is consistent throughout your copy.
During second review:
Me: Circles the inconsistencies, again.
JCW: Leaves to make changes.
2 minutes later:
JCW: (Returns and points at circled word) What does this mean?
Sigh.
Me: You need to make sure that the way you write the name of this club card is consistent throughout your copy.
During second review:
Me: Circles the inconsistencies, again.
JCW: Leaves to make changes.
2 minutes later:
JCW: (Returns and points at circled word) What does this mean?
Sigh.
4 August 2011
Me: Here you've written that the magazine comes out every month, but here (two lines down) you've written "every second month". Which one is it?
JCW: Every second month.
Me: underlines "every month" for correction.
JCW: Ok, cool, I'll change it to every fortnight.
Sigh.
JCW: Every second month.
Me: underlines "every month" for correction.
JCW: Ok, cool, I'll change it to every fortnight.
Sigh.
13 July 2011
After writing down a copy suggestion, which includes a client's URL, during a review:
JCW: Um, you just abbreviated the URL, as shorthand, right?
Sigh.
JCW: Um, you just abbreviated the URL, as shorthand, right?
Sigh.
6 July 2011
JCW: Is non-toxic one word or hyphenated when used on its own?
Me: It's hyphenated.
JCW: Are you sure?
Me: Look it up.
2 minutes later ...
Me: And?
JCW: It's hyphenated.
Sigh.
Me: It's hyphenated.
JCW: Are you sure?
Me: Look it up.
2 minutes later ...
Me: And?
JCW: It's hyphenated.
Sigh.
5 July 2011
JCW: I just want to check – should there be a space between the last word and the question mark?
Sigh.
Sigh.
4 July 2011
While checking my own copy in a layout:
Me: There's a word missing here.
JAD: I deleted it.
Me: Why?
JAD: I didn't know what it meant.
Sigh.
Me: There's a word missing here.
JAD: I deleted it.
Me: Why?
JAD: I didn't know what it meant.
Sigh.
Copy. Paste. Two.
In celebration of over 1,000 views in just two months:
"Are you incapable of rational thought?"
Happy sigh.
"Are you incapable of rational thought?"
Happy sigh.
1 July 2011
While reviewing first radio script:
Me: Your copy needs to flow a bit more, it's too staccato.
JCW: Oh, but I thought it was supposed to be hard-sell.
Me: Yes, but that doesn't mean that there shouldn't be a connection between each line. For e.g. ...
JCW: Oh, okay, cool.
30 min later, while reviewing second radio script (same JCW):
Me: Your copy needs to flow a bit more, it's too staccato.
Sigh.
Me: Your copy needs to flow a bit more, it's too staccato.
JCW: Oh, but I thought it was supposed to be hard-sell.
Me: Yes, but that doesn't mean that there shouldn't be a connection between each line. For e.g. ...
JCW: Oh, okay, cool.
30 min later, while reviewing second radio script (same JCW):
Me: Your copy needs to flow a bit more, it's too staccato.
Sigh.
30 June 2011
Me: Has the work been sent to client yet?
JCW: Yes.
Me: But I didn't sign it off.
JCW: Oh, it doesn't matter, CS said they loved it.
Sigh.
JCW: Yes.
Me: But I didn't sign it off.
JCW: Oh, it doesn't matter, CS said they loved it.
Sigh.
29 July 2011
Me: Is this a review or for sign-off?
JCW: It's not really a review, um ...
Me: Can I look at it in 10 minutes?
JCW: It's due in 2 minutes.
Sigh.
JCW: It's not really a review, um ...
Me: Can I look at it in 10 minutes?
JCW: It's due in 2 minutes.
Sigh.
27 June 2011
JCW (to AD): I can't believe it. Copy has been changed, now of all times!
AD: Who made the changes?
Me: I made the changes. Ensure they're done. This is why I need to review your work before it goes into layout.
Sigh.
AD: Who made the changes?
Me: I made the changes. Ensure they're done. This is why I need to review your work before it goes into layout.
Sigh.
23 June 2011
While reviewing a TV ad edit, at my desk, with headphones on:
Me: motions to hovering JCW to come into office.
JCW: something inaudible ...
Me: I've still got my headphones on.
JCW: Oh!
Sigh.
Me: motions to hovering JCW to come into office.
JCW: something inaudible ...
Me: I've still got my headphones on.
JCW: Oh!
Sigh.
22 June 2011
Me: What happened to the option without the headline, just the visual, as we discussed?
JCW: Um, I don't know.
Sigh.
JCW: Um, I don't know.
Sigh.
13 June 2011
While reviewing a newsletter email template:
Me: It's a bit bland. Can you make it look more appealing?
JAD*: Well, how would I do that?
Me: Isn't that your challenge?
Sigh.
*Junior art director
Me: It's a bit bland. Can you make it look more appealing?
JAD*: Well, how would I do that?
Me: Isn't that your challenge?
Sigh.
*Junior art director
10 June 2011
Me: We always include an "add more" line, please add one.
5 min. later ...
Me: This is the "add more" line from campaign x, please use an original one.
5 min. later ...
Me: Why have you taken the "add more" line out?
JCW: I don't understand the question.
Sigh.
5 min. later ...
Me: This is the "add more" line from campaign x, please use an original one.
5 min. later ...
Me: Why have you taken the "add more" line out?
JCW: I don't understand the question.
Sigh.
9 June 2011
Me: Work cannot go out with a spelling mistake.
JCW: Well, who should check it when you're not here?
Me: We have a team of three proofreaders and six other copywriters in the studio.
JCW: Oh.
Sigh.
JCW: Well, who should check it when you're not here?
Me: We have a team of three proofreaders and six other copywriters in the studio.
JCW: Oh.
Sigh.
8 June 2011
Me: You sent the script out and misspelled the brand name. That's unacceptable.
JCW: It was just in the subject line of the email.
Sigh.
JCW: It was just in the subject line of the email.
Sigh.
7 June 2011 (Part 1)
Me: Have you timed your script?
JCW: Yes. But they just kept wanting me to add stuff.
Me: But it can't be longer than 30 seconds.
JCW: Well, I tried to read faster but I couldn't keep up with myself.
Sigh.
JCW: Yes. But they just kept wanting me to add stuff.
Me: But it can't be longer than 30 seconds.
JCW: Well, I tried to read faster but I couldn't keep up with myself.
Sigh.
25 May 2011
After third revision ...
Me: You still haven't quite cracked ending off this paragraph, you need to bring it back to the brand.
JCW: Can't I just leave it out?
Sigh.
Me: You still haven't quite cracked ending off this paragraph, you need to bring it back to the brand.
JCW: Can't I just leave it out?
Sigh.
24 May 2011
JCW: Is chit-chat two words or one?
Me: It's hyphenated.
JCW: Are you sure? I think it's one word.
Me: Look it up.
Looks it up in Oxford.
JCW: It's hyphenated.
Sigh.
Me: It's hyphenated.
JCW: Are you sure? I think it's one word.
Me: Look it up.
Looks it up in Oxford.
JCW: It's hyphenated.
Sigh.
19 May 2011
JCW hovers in my doorway.
Me: Can this wait until tomorrow?
JCW: Oh, okay.
JCW vanishes.
Sigh.
Me: Can this wait until tomorrow?
JCW: Oh, okay.
JCW vanishes.
Sigh.
17 May 2011
JCW: Are you busy?
Me: Yes.
JCW: Very busy?
Me: Yes.
JCW: I just wanted to ask you one quick thing.
Sigh.
Me: Yes.
JCW: Very busy?
Me: Yes.
JCW: I just wanted to ask you one quick thing.
Sigh.
16 May 2011
Me: What format is the pamphlet in?
JCW: Um, A3.
Me: A3 for a pamphlet? It says A5 on your brief.
JCW: Oh yes, A5.
Me: But there it says A3.
JCW: Oh yes, it's probably A5 though.
Me: Have you asked client service?
JCW: No.
Sigh.
JCW: Um, A3.
Me: A3 for a pamphlet? It says A5 on your brief.
JCW: Oh yes, A5.
Me: But there it says A3.
JCW: Oh yes, it's probably A5 though.
Me: Have you asked client service?
JCW: No.
Sigh.
10 May 2011
Me: Your payoff-line options don't say anything about the intimacy and sharing you mention in your creative rationale.
JCW: Yeah, I just kinda put those down as suggestions.
Me: Have you reviewed any of this with CD?
JCW: No.
Me: You haven't reviewed?
JCW: Yeah. No. I just thought we'd send these through to show more or less what we're thinking.
Me: This one is someone else's payoff line.
JCW: I was wondering why it was stuck in my head.
Me: When is this going to client?
JCW: Now.
Me: No it's not.
Sigh.
JCW: Yeah, I just kinda put those down as suggestions.
Me: Have you reviewed any of this with CD?
JCW: No.
Me: You haven't reviewed?
JCW: Yeah. No. I just thought we'd send these through to show more or less what we're thinking.
Me: This one is someone else's payoff line.
JCW: I was wondering why it was stuck in my head.
Me: When is this going to client?
JCW: Now.
Me: No it's not.
Sigh.
6 May 2011
Me: There's a full stop missing at the end of that sentence.
JCW: But I see lots of websites that don't use full stops.
Me: I don't care. We punctuate here.
Sigh.
JCW: But I see lots of websites that don't use full stops.
Me: I don't care. We punctuate here.
Sigh.
4 May 2011
Me: I don't think you've cracked the "quirky" part of the copy brief.
JCW: I don't really understand what quirky means.
Me: Have you asked client service?
JCW: Er, I don't really think she'll know.
Me: Have you asked client service?
JCW: Well, she doesn't really ...
Me: You haven't asked her have you?
JCW: No.
Me: Go and ask client service. Now.
Sigh.
JCW: I don't really understand what quirky means.
Me: Have you asked client service?
JCW: Er, I don't really think she'll know.
Me: Have you asked client service?
JCW: Well, she doesn't really ...
Me: You haven't asked her have you?
JCW: No.
Me: Go and ask client service. Now.
Sigh.
18 April 2011
On name generation for men's body wash:
JCW: But what about "A Man for all Seasons"?
Me: Whaaat? And bastardize a classic piece of literature? Absolutely not.
JCW:blank
Me: You *do* know it's a play, right?
JCW: No.
Me: I'm going to pretend you didn't say that.
JCW (pleading): But I thought it had a really nice feel to it.
Me: No.
Sigh.
JCW: But what about "A Man for all Seasons"?
Me: Whaaat? And bastardize a classic piece of literature? Absolutely not.
JCW:
Me: You *do* know it's a play, right?
JCW: No.
Me: I'm going to pretend you didn't say that.
JCW (pleading): But I thought it had a really nice feel to it.
Me: No.
Sigh.
29 March 2011
Me: You really need to bring those little truths into every tip.
JCW: I thought you were going to say that.
Me: Well, if you thought that, then you should really make the changes before I look at your work.
JCW: I know, sometimes I just hope you'll miss it.
Sigh.
JCW: I thought you were going to say that.
Me: Well, if you thought that, then you should really make the changes before I look at your work.
JCW: I know, sometimes I just hope you'll miss it.
Sigh.
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