To the previous note about “How clients view a position/role of Copy Writer”, one Creative Director (ex-Copy Writer) wrote to me.
Let me share this, hoping it would be another stimuli for people working on Marketing, as well as Copy Writers (or Writer-to-be).
“M.”-san, from B-con agency.
I worked with him for approx 10 years. Through working with him (on Vidal Sassoon, h&s, and Attento), he demonstrated how great it is to “let the brand talk”. Or, he is one of those “teachers” for me.
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O.-san,
Long time no seeing, how have you been?
Recently, there came across a quote that made me get what is Copy Writing.
It is Mr. Shun-ichi Iwasaki’s words in Senden Kaigi’s advertising for Copy Writer Seminar, which I guess O.-san is teaching a part of it.
“Don’t try to craft copy, discover it.” (May not be as is, though.)
Top-notch Creator, that he is! Copy should not be made/crafted.
Good case, illustrating this.
It is a story about naming “Sha-mail (Photo-mail for mobile)” quite a few years ago when they were still J-Phone.
Back then, people in the project had already been using the word of “Sha-mail” to describe this new function. It had started naturally, no one’s naming.
However, somehow, people had not believed the “Sha-mail” would be the right one for the function.
They were trying hard to “make/craft” a new name that is cool for their advanced feature of mobile phone.
After wasting some days over the naming, one of project members “discovered”.
“Hey, don’t know when, but aren’t we using the “Sha-mail” everyday?”
Said another.
“Yeah, that’s right. Everyone’s using it.”
Then another said.
“Isn’t it great, spreading this fast?”
Finally they noticed that they had been sitting on gold mine.
(Dramatized conversation.)
When a Copy Writer comes up a good copy writing, it often came from a discovery.
It could be a word from ladies’ chat at the next table at a restaurant.
A word happened to be caught from a corner of a page skimming a magazine.
Or, a word from my memories of imagination long ago.
There happens a moment when the word and the task spark.
It hits me like lightning. It is not often coming from hard work. It is exactly like a discovery.
They may not be logically correct, rather they are “It’s strange and cannot tell, but I get it” or “It is charming, lasts long, and makes me want to speak”.
There was a mention in O.-san’s blog, “Copy Writer can give a name to something that is too conceptual or that you need to “explain”. Once it has a name, it stands on its own. It is no longer abstract concept, it now has a life, and has nuance of thoughts and belief.”
If I extend this, a job of Copy Writer may be about discovering a strong word, a word with full of life, in the market/category.
So, my request to client people is, rather than checking out if they are logically making sense or covering everything to be said, to choose one, client’s hat off, that talks to you like “strange but fall into place” or “somewhat crooked, but tickling”.
They go to consumers’ heart.
Another essence to be a good Copy Writer is to be “easily possessed”.
This goes well with what O.-san says.
No matter how good/bad the copy is, it must be on Brand Character.
So, Copy Writer should have a talent that gets possessed by the Brand’s spirit.
Going back to the J-Phone story.
They had wanted to make J-Phone a cool brand.
In fact, they used to ask Mr. Yaumichi Oka to develop edge-y advertising.
But from consumer view point, J-Phone was cheapest in market, smaller company, and familiar company, rather than cool.
Its Brand Character that consumers had as an image got along with the strange name, Sha-mail.
The word might have not become this popular if they had asked a Copy Writer to put a cool name instead.
By the way, Softbank, formerly J-Phone, runs two campaigns, but one with a dog is better than the other one featuring big celebs.
It might be coming from their DNA.
In addition, I would agree with O.-san that Copy Writer should be a translator between Creator and Client.
It is generally true that people with Art background is not always good at explaining things.
Mail got this long, but net I wanted to tell you many copy writers would agree with you.
Looking forward what is coming out from ETOJIYA.
Good luck.
“M.”
B-con Communications
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Thank you very much, M.-san.
“Hyoui Taishitu” (a talent that gets possessed by else’s spirit), nice word, let me use it as well.
“O.”
