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poster pains…

January 23rd, 2010 // 1:41 pm @ // No Comments yet

Hello there. As it’s Saturday I’m not actually going to mention anything about work. Come on, it’s the weekend, let’s let our hair down, kick back and just relax. In the spirit of this, I’ve just been browsing the net, where I came across this…

 Good, isn’t it? It’s a little pastiche of the Cameron posters that can be seen leering from a 96 sheet poster somewhere near you. However, a clever chap by the name of Andy Barefoot, ( I’m not guaranteeing that’s a real name ), has created a page where you can go and make up your own slogan, see it miraculously appear on a poster, then maybe post it on Twitter, to the amusement of all your followers. So go on, click here and go and have some fun with it. Send me your best ones if you like. Then I’ll claim the credit for them.

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blog will eat itself…

January 22nd, 2010 // 12:59 pm @ // 2 Comments

The first item on today’s blog is today’s blog. What am I doing with it? Where’s it going? And why? I’m getting loads of advice from all quarters regarding its design or lack thereof. Unfortunately all roads seem to point towards me doing something about it and therein lies the problem. I’m crap at all this stuff. Apparently I don’t have to stick to the rigid constraints of this template, there are all kinds of things I can do with it. I can change the fonts, alter the layout, add more pictures, even insert videos and things. Actually, I’m doing alright with that – pictures and stuff. It’s changing the fonts that’s a worry. There’s so much commitment involved. Every touch of the keyboard is potentially catastrophic. One wrong move and the entire blog vanishes into the ether. Well, it doesn’t really. It just kind of vanishes to somewhere on the computer that I have no knowledge of and no way of locating. I’ve actually written some terrific stuff over the past couple of days. If I could show it to you, you’d love it. Honestly, it’s really, really good. So good in fact, that I thought it deserved a really beautiful font to set it off. So that’s what I did. I went in and changed the font, saved it, added pictures, threw in a few amusing links and pressed a key. So there it is. If you can find it, you can have it.

And News just in! My splendid ” Modern Willow Pattern” mugs arrived from LOVE today. It’s so exciting that I’ve decided to publish a photo of me drinking from one. I’m using the “cattle/methane/aeroplane = air pollution” themed mug today. Although I may go for the “two pandas shagging” one later just to cheer myself up a bit.  

Thanks to everyone at LOVE for making each and every brew a very special one.

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my intentions are good…

January 21st, 2010 // 1:29 pm @ // No Comments yet

Bit of a cheat today. The stuff below was written for the mediaburst blog but I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone and stick it on here too. Both lazy and environmentally friendly. Good eh?

Well the new mediaburst site is up and active and very good it looks too. It’s a radical departure from what went before and, as a part of the team that created it, I feel a certain swelling of pride to see how it stands up against the competition out there. However, as a copywriter too, here’s where it gets tricky. The site went through a great many changes to arrive at the finished product. There’s a lot to consider. Does it all work? Will people take the time to read it? Will they click in the right places? Will they go from homepage to sign up in a few fluid moves?

Inevitably compromises are made and inevitably copywriters get upset. Well, this one does anyway.

Because, while I love the site, it’s design and it’s execution, I loved the earlier versions more. They had more words you see. Clever words, warm fuzzy words, “come in and get to know us” words and snappy little lines that showed how clever I am.

However, as a professional, ( please stop sniggering at the back ), I’m used to this. I shall gather up all those clever words, dust them down and put them back in my bag for the next job. And when that job goes to press or appears on the screen I’ll gather them up, dust them down and put them back in my bag again. That’s how it is for us poor, misunderstood copywriters.

Oh, by the way, the page you see here is one of the early versions. One with words.

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carry on…

January 20th, 2010 // 11:59 pm @ // One Comment

In the dying moments of my birthday I’ve decided to share this card with you. It’s ok. You’re welcome.  Obviously it’s based on the 1939 “KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON” poster that seems to be popping up everywhere lately and I think it’s great.

“Happy birthday old chap”. Couldn’t have put it better myself.

Thanks Julie.

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evidently chickened out…

January 20th, 2010 // 4:46 pm @ // No Comments yet

Bugger. Those Birthday disappointments just keep on coming.  To add to my lack of parcel, now comes the lack of big birthday night out. I was supposed to be going to see John Cooper Clarke, “punk poet” and all round spikiest geezer in town on Saturday night.

But it seems that “due to bad health” the show’s been postponed. This could of course be good news for Tim, who was incapable of buying a ticket despite numerous reminders and light shouting.

This does leave me at a loose end on Saturday though. So if anyone reading would like to treat a Manchester Copywriter to something special, the 23rd is your big chance. I’m not that fussy. Surprise me.

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many happy redeliveries…

January 20th, 2010 // 1:23 pm @ // 2 Comments

It’s my Birthday today and I’d just like to thank everyone for the deluge of cards that arrived this morning. They were both lovely. The ninja postman has however struck again. I can only assume that he crept to the door while I was showering to leave the “sorry, you were out” card. Well the joke’s on him. I wasn’t out, I was in.

Now I have to wait till Friday for my parcel, by which time my Birthday will be a dim and distant memory.

Bastard.

Back in the realm of advertising though, I have a question. Does anyone else in the world believe that £1.00 is known anywhere, by anybody, as a “bob“?  Surely that, and I apologise for going pre-decimal here, was a shilling. Or even 5p. It’s never, ever been a pound, regardless of what McDonalds latest tv ad would have you believe. I know I shouldn’t care but, as a professional copywriter, ( no sniggering at the back ), I do. Another question. Why, when Ronald has surely been around for a bit and seen loads of ads, are McDonalds campaigns  so consistently terrible?

And another thing Ronald, Take off that stupid clown suit and grow up man. You just look creepy.

Not as creepy as this though.

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book early…

January 19th, 2010 // 1:26 pm @ // One Comment

It’s turning into quite a week for gifts, ( did I mention it’s my Birthday tomorrow? ). This morning the postman brought me this.

It’s a beautiful little book from Dorothy, retelling the classic Christmas tale  ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’.  I love everything about it. Other than the fact that I, as a copywriter and FRIEND, didn’t write it of course…

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china syndrome…

January 18th, 2010 // 8:40 pm @ // 2 Comments

It’s been a mixed day today. This morning was spent in Leeds going backwards and forwards in a huge polo mint affair while dyed blood coursed through my veins. It’s a change though isn’t it?

On arriving home however, I was thrilled to find an email from the mighty Phil Skegg of LOVE fame informing me that I’ll soon receive a set of their rather fabulous china mugs.

Great aren’t they? They’re a very 2010, very LOVE interpretation of the classic willow pattern we all know and well, love.

I’m chuffed to bits,

Ta Phil.

Oh, the other thing that happened is that the ninja postman came in the narrow time frame that no-one was available to sign for a parcel. How does he do it? It’s obviously a gift.

As was the parcel.

Bastard.

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cheapskate…

January 17th, 2010 // 11:29 am @ // No Comments yet

Only the second day of my blog and already I feel inadequate. It’s this damn free WordPress thing I’m using you see. It seems everyone else has a really cool custom made site while I just use an “off the peg” thing that anyone with half a brain and a laptop can cobble together.

Obviously this is a worry. I’m supposed to be creative for god’s sake and here I am  in a Primark suit while the rest of them strut around wearing Armani. John Goddard’s site, for example, looks the part and it’s funny too. Bastard.

Oh well. Next step, find a talented, gullible and presently under-employed web designer who’s willing to exchange his valuable work for empty promises and inevitable disappointment.

I’ll keep you posted…

Oh, it’s just occurred to me that it’s my Birthday on Wednesday, ( the 20th ), so if anyone fancies knocking up a stylish blog, suitable for a top-class Manchester Copywriter, or me, as a gift I’d be suitably grateful.

I’d also like one of these…

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here goes…

January 16th, 2010 // 11:45 am @ // No Comments yet

Hello there.  After much soul-searching,  gnashing of teeth, denial and avoidance, I’ve finally got off my backside and started that whole blogging thing.

I imagine it’s going to take me a while to even learn how to do this, let alone come up with some interesting stuff to share with the world. Till then, please bear with me.

Ta.

andy

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