Zac Ryder

I am most proud when the juniors I hire move on to bigger and better things with regard to their careers. The end product of my work efforts is a person, not a portfolio.

Zac Ryder was a junior copywriter trying to get his foot in the door when I met him back in 2004. His relentless pursuit of a job was endearing (which in some cases borders annoying, but not so with Zac). He called, he emailed, he said he'd sweep the mail room, he offered to work for free and, eventually, I hired him as a junior writer.

It's one of the best hiring decisions I've ever made. Zac spent three years here at Y&R and contributed beyond his years and experience from day one. Seriously, he was concepting on new business pitches and presenting to our executive team right out of the gate. His passion was infectious and he had the talent and drive to back it up.

When a creative gives their notice, I'm happy and sad at the same time. Happy that the person is taking what they've learned at our agency and building the next part of their career from it. Sad for obvious reasons. I am very proud when a creative takes the next step with a portfolio filled with a few years of great work from the opportunity they had at our agency. Zac Ryder continues the trajectory of his career and makes me very proud indeed.

Back it up

If you are a junior copywriter making the rounds with your portfolio, you'll be asked at some point for long copy samples. Most of you have a book full of work written with a headline and a couple of sentences of body copy. You need to be able to back that up with a few longer pieces that show you can actually write. A paragraph, a story, anything longer than 3 sentences.

This is akin to an art director showing they can design to back up their ability to concept. I don't want to see a book chock full of work that is essentially a photo with a headline. I want to see layouts that show a range of skills. This art director book does just that. I see the evidence that she can design, which backs up her ability to art direct. I need to see similar evidence for a copywriter.

I received a copywriter book a short time ago. The writer had interned at some amazing places: Crispin, Fallon, Energy BBDO. Impressive and obviously his concepts warranted these places being interested in him. Cut to his long copy section.

Let me explain. First, I was a couple classes shy of being an English major. Second, I love to write. Both make me hypersensitive to the correct use of the English language. The proper cadence, sentence structure, grammar and usage are mandatory in my book, lest we not forget spelling. Well, not so much in this one.

Please, please, please elevate your ability to craft a sentence, know the difference between possessive and plural, and master grammar. I'll forgive the occasional typo (although some recruiters don't), but I'm stringent on the others.

Up to a Point

When you phone an agency Creative Manager and - by some stroke of sheer luck - get them in person, make sure you have thought out what you'd like to ask them. I can tell you I rarely answer my phone if I don't recognize the number and consider my time pretty scarce when I do.

So a few days ago when I randomly picked up to an unfamiliar number and realized it was a candidate cold call, I thought I'd be answering fairly quick questions (are you hiring? can I send you my book?). What I got was a young guy who is currently "in film," and aspires to be a copywriter. I asked him if he had a portfolio he could send me, which he didn't. Over the next 15 minutes, he and I talked about the different routes he could take to ultimately create a portfolio and somehow break into copywriting.

Now, mind you, I LOVE this part of my job. I love helping entry-level talent find a way into advertising. That's why I teach. Nothing is more fulfilling to me than this part of my job. We talked about Bookshop. We talked about internships. We talked about using his film background as a way in the door. All sorts of things. I was feeling quite proud of myself for spending so much time on the phone with this guy, taking the time to help him chart his way.

We then started to talk about him possibly freelancing as a film editor as a way to earn money while pursuing his writing. I suggested Aquent or 24/7 or some other creative staffing service that he could contact. My pride and personal happiness screeched to a halt here when he asked me if I had their phone numbers. "Dude. Google," was all I could answer.

Up to a point I can offer career advice. Help you chart the waters. Answer industry questions. Up to a point. but asking me for Aquent's phone number is just about when I have to hang up and start screening my calls again.

Onomatopoe-wha?

If you want to become a better copywriter, read aloud what you have written. So often I read a block of copy and am pained by the lack of thoughtful sentence construction. I'm writing this after reading an ad that had three you's and one yours in a single 10-word sentence. It was one of those sentences you re-read just to try and give it the benefit of the doubt.

Just as an art director must pick his fonts and design every element in each ad, so too should a writer. Writing is a craft and as a copywriter you should know the art of the English language, starting with the basics.

Learn these terms and what they mean: alliteration, meter, consonance, cadence, and onomatopoeia. They teach you about the sounds and timing of words and syllables that make copy easier on the ear. Learn what they mean and apply them where appropriate. Pick your words and 'design' how they sound and feel. Then say your copy aloud. If it sounds funny, it probably reads funny too.

Copywriter 101

I'm loving the articles on Talent Zoo. Here's one that I hope stays live for a while, it outlines the essential traits of a copywriter.

My favorites are #8) A strong stomach. Mustn't get a stomach ache after having ideas rejected two or three times; and #30) Suspicious. The ability to doubt everything.

In my opinion writers should question everything, research like fiends, be savvy with pop culture and, in fact, become cultural anthropologists. Note that the man who put this article on Talent Zoo is an anthropologist AND a copywriter. As you should be too.

Why is Alexis so cool?

See the link to the left that says "I'd hire her on the spot." That's Alexis. First off, it's obviously she spent some cash on her website. Second, the money was well worth it as I tried to hire her at the same time she was swooped up by Tribal DDB in Chicago. Alexis is most likely not worried about that cash outlay anymore.

Her website is a great example of two things: 1) her personality and 2) her personality. Remember a while back I wrote about differentiating yourself from other ad school graduates? This website is a classic example of just that. Alexis is cool, funky and very, very funny. And I knew all this without having met her.

Keep in mind that I was considering her for a position on our Mattel team. Her quirky style was a perfect match for that account. Now, had my opening been on Land Rover or Toshiba she most certainly would not have been a fit. Remember that the next time an agency turns you down. It may only be due to your style vs. client fit.

Back to Alexis' website. She is helped tremendously by some great art direction. Don't discount how that affects a copywriter's book. It is very difficult to extract bad art direction from good copywriting. Try as we might, we recruiters look at the ad as a whole. It is really hard not to. But, what Alexis does best is communicate her personality. The music (push it rocks!), the section "about me" is fantastic and the navigation is easy to maneuver. I think I want to hire her web designer as well!

I always, always go to any "about me" section first. I'm weird that way. But, I really want to know YOU before I see your work. And after reading about Alexis, I just wanted to hang out with her. Her apparent dynamic is refreshing and any agency creative department would be stoked to have her. Kudos Tribal DDB.

Stunt Doubles

Mike Stone and Mike Stone.

Two creative freelancers in So. California. This is nothing more than the fact that I think two guys with duplicate names is funny.