Okay, let’s turn the clock back. Right back, to the 1980s.
Castrol Australia had a long-running campaign featuring re-occurring gangster characters. Those characters always spoke about the high quality of Castrol oil, and how not all oils are equal. This all anchored on their campaign line, “Oils ain’t oils”.
It was obviously based on an insight that many car owners thought any oil could do the job.
Well, the same can be said about copywriters.
The truth is, there are copywriters. And then, there are ‘copywriters’. Not all are created equal.
See, in recent years, the term copywriter has grown to cover people of varying skills. Seemingly, it can now refer to a wide range of people – from a ‘traditional copywriter’ (whose skills includes equal parts marketing strategy, creative concepts, and wordsmithing), to a part-time journalist, right through to someone who simply knows how to use spell check on a computer.
As someone who’s been ‘brought up’ through the traditional ad agency model, I obviously have a horse in this race. After all, it’s how I make a living.
However, the problem arises when a client hires a ‘copywriter’ but thinks they’re hiring a different type of copywriter. Or, they’re not quite sure what a copywriter does. Or, they compare quotes provided by different types of copywriters (which is akin to comparing oranges and apples).
Perhaps, this is best presented in pictures, as I’ve set out below. So, if you happen to be looking for a copywriter, please remember, ‘copywriters ain’t copywriters’.
DUSTIN LANE
Brand Strategy | Creative Concepts | Copywriting
Visit risinggiants.co or dustinlanecreative.com
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