Copywriting
Class #LS 3240 01 | Fall 2009
Thursdays 6:30pm–9:00pm | Room 434
Instructor: Tim Brunelle
Session #2 | September 3, 2009

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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

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Review first assignment
(p1-11)
(p25-62)
(p131-142)
Handout : “The Fisherman’s Guide”
:
from Truth Lies & Advertising
by Jon Steel
COPYWRITING | FALL 2009 | SESSION 02, SEPTEMBER 3 BRUNELLE | MCAD

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

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History of Copywriting: up to 1949
Claude C. Hopkins
James Webb Young
John Caples
Albert Lasker
et al...
“Salesmanship in print.”
- Albert Lasker
COPYWRITING | FALL 2009 | SESSION 02, SEPTEMBER 3 BRUNELLE | MCAD

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

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Bill Bernbach
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Howard Gossage
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Link to the “Carousel” sequence from Mad Men
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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
COPYWRITING | FALL 2009 | SESSION 02, SEPTEMBER 3 BRUNELLE | MCAD

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DDB Jim Durfee
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David Abbott
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Link to video Hal Riney
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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...
COPYWRITING | FALL 2009 | SESSION 02, SEPTEMBER 3 BRUNELLE | MCAD

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Janet Champ
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Link to video Jamie Barrett
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Mark Fenske
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Neil French
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Link to video Lance Jensen & Alan Pafenbach
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History of Copywriting: Now
Rob Reilly
Janet Kestin
David Droga
The Team
The Women (courtesy
creativeskirts)
...and hopefully you
Now what?
COPYWRITING | FALL 2009 | SESSION 02, SEPTEMBER 3 BRUNELLE | MCAD

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Let’s take a break
for a few minutes
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Being an ad copywriter
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Being an ad copywriter
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?
COPYWRITING | FALL 2009 | SESSION 02, SEPTEMBER 3 BRUNELLE | MCAD

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Being an ad copywriter
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.
COPYWRITING | FALL 2009 | SESSION 02, SEPTEMBER 3 BRUNELLE | MCAD

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Being an ad copywriter
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
COPYWRITING | FALL 2009 | SESSION 02, SEPTEMBER 3 BRUNELLE | MCAD

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Link to video
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VW Jetta creative brief
It’s 2005. The new Jetta is coming.
We need lots of headlines. Go.
COPYWRITING | FALL 2009 | SESSION 02, SEPTEMBER 3 BRUNELLE | MCAD

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

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Thursday, Sept. 10
Review second reading assignment
VW Jetta creative brief, cont.
In-class assignment
COPYWRITING | FALL 2009 | SESSION 02, SEPTEMBER 3 BRUNELLE | MCAD

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Thank you
Office hours: Thursdays, 5:30-6:30pm,
2nd floor cafe
Email: tim_brunelle@mcad.edu
Blog: usefullunacy.typepad.com
Twitter: @tbrunelle
COPYWRITING | FALL 2009 | SESSION 02, SEPTEMBER 3 BRUNELLE | MCAD