MCAD 2009 - Copywriting :: Session 02, Sept 3

Copywriting
Class #LS 3240 01 | Fall 2009
Thursdays 6:30pm–9:00pm | Room 434
Instructor: Tim Brunelle

Session #2 | September 3, 2009

2

Today’s agenda:

Review first assignment
History of Copywriting
Being an Ad Copywriter
VW Jetta creative brief
Second reading assignment

COPYWRITING | FALL 2009 | SESSION 02, SEPTEMBER 3 BRUNELLE | MCAD

3

Review first assignment

(p1-11)
(p25-62)
(p131-142)

Handout : “The Fisherman’s Guide”
:
from Truth Lies & Advertising
by Jon Steel


4

History* of Copywriting

up to 1949
1950-1960s
The positioning era
The allegiance era
Now

Want more? Buy this.

*AdAge’s “history of advertising” timeline


5

History of Copywriting: up to 1949
Claude C. Hopkins
James Webb Young
John Caples
Albert Lasker
et al...

“Salesmanship in print.”
- Albert Lasker


6

John Caples


7

History of Copywriting: 1950-1960s
David Ogilvy
Leo Burnett
Mary Wells Lawrence
Bill Bernbach
Howard Gossage
et al...
“The power of the idea.”
- Bill Bernbach


8

Bill Bernbach


9

Howard Gossage


10

Link to the “Carousel” sequence from Mad Men


11

History of Copywriting: Positioning
Ed McCabe
Jim Durfee
Diane Rothschild
David Trott
Hal Riney
David Abbott
Jerry Della Femina
et al

“The positioning era cometh.”
- Jack Trout & Al Ries


12

DDB Jim Durfee


13

David Abbott


14

Link to video Hal Riney


15

History of Copywriting: Allegiance
Janet Champ
Tom McElligott
Neil French
Mark Fenske
Linda Kaplan Thaler
Tim Delaney
Link to video Dick Sittig
“The age of allegiance.”
Jamie Barrett
- Dion Hughes Jim Riswold
et al...


16

Janet Champ


17

Link to video Jamie Barrett


18

Mark Fenske


19

Neil French


20

Link to video Lance Jensen & Alan Pafenbach


21

History of Copywriting: Now
Rob Reilly
Janet Kestin
David Droga
The Team
The Women (courtesy
creativeskirts)
...and hopefully you
Now what?


22

Let’s take a break
for a few minutes


23

Being an ad copywriter


24


Q. What are the critical questions that a writer
should be asking prior to crafting a story?
Robert McKee: Beyond imagination and insight, the
most important component of talent is perseverance -
the will to write and rewrite in pursuit of
perfection. Therefore, when inspiration sparks the
desire to write, the artist immediately asks: Is
this idea so fascinating, so rich in possibility,
that I want to spend months, perhaps years, of my
life in pursuit of its fulfillment? Is this concept
so exciting that I will get up each morning with the
hunger to write? Will this inspiration compel me to
sacrifice all of life's other pleasures in my quest
to perfect its telling? If the answer is no, find
another iassets. Why give your life to an idea
that's not worth your life?


25


1. Be a detective. Discover (e.g. “Don’t
answer, ask”).
2. Have hope. (“Most people would rather
die than think; in fact, they do.” -
Bertrand Russell)
3. It’s a job. Have a process (e.g.
Digging for gold in your backyard) and a
work ethic.
4. Initially, quantity is more important
than quality. Have lots of things to edit.
5. Be okay with selling stuff, including
yourself.


26


Part of the job, to quote Pat Burnham,
is to get people to look at things
differently.
Other people can show you how:
Roger von Oech
Eddie Izzard
Bill Cosby
Jack Foster


27

Link to video


28

VW Jetta creative brief

It’s 2005. The new Jetta is coming.
We need lots of headlines. Go.


29

Second reading assignment

1) On Writing p135-170
2) Hey Whipple p1-69
3) Gossage p13-25; Section “Is There
Any Hope?” p3-11 & 18-27


30

Thursday, Sept. 10

Review second reading assignment
VW Jetta creative brief, cont.
In-class assignment


31

Thank you

Office hours: Thursdays, 5:30-6:30pm,
2nd floor cafe

Email: tim_brunelle@mcad.edu

Blog: usefullunacy.typepad.com

Twitter: @tbrunelle


MCAD 2009 - Copywriting :: Session 02, Sept 3

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