On hiatus

Sorry, no posts for a week or two.
I'm driving across the country to relocate for a new gig.

In the meantime, you can follow @AskACopywriter on twitter for updates from the road.

When are you better off not advertising?

Does Shell really expect anyone to react positively about a "delivering better energy solutions" campaign after the BP disaster in the Gulf?


I actually like the copy and layout, but terrible timing.

Is your customer a moving target?

I walked past these ads for months without giving them a thought. Now that I'm a new Dad, they've been putting a smile on my face every morning.

How dirty do you like your martini?

Meet "Paul the marketing guy" at 42Below vodka.

Fun if not disgusting play on the common motif of a woman in a martini glass.

What's your bank's story?

Citi’s new campaign features product focused ads and a site called stories.citi.com.
Or as they put it on their corporate site, “Citi has launched a new advertising campaign based around the theme of stories, positioning the brand as an enabler of positive human experiences.”

Could the easy answer be the right one?

Obvious, but it works.

And despite the word "hot" in the product name, they didn't take the “controversial” route of some of their previous lines.

Is this the droid you're looking for?

I’ve always liked the “Droid Does” tagline, so it’s nice to see they’re finally out with a headline that actually makes sense.

Won't you please get ready for some football?

Some buddies talked me into season tickets to the Giants this year. But that has nothing to do with why I just felt sad when I saw this ad.

Are features or benefits more impactful?

I’ve noticed a lot of camera ads lately. Panasonic highlighting features with headlines and Olympus doing so with a virtual demo.

But hitting emotion and versatility might be a more effective way to convince the masses.
Instead of telling me why I'll be able to take great pictures, this ad makes me feel like I don't want to miss that great shot when it comes along.

How do non-Apple people stay in touch?

I’m on my third iPhone, so when a buddy of mine (who’s in sales) recently asked me for my BBM, I thought he meant something medical.
But it actually looks pretty cool.