Riding into work today I passed a red billboard with yellow type that said, “I start my day at $1.” It was for McDonald’s dollar menu. I thought about how clever the copywriter thought this line was, and how it was applauded by her Creative Director. Then I thought about the ad agency where they work and how happy they must be to have the McDonald’s account. I thought about how much effort must have gone into their pitch to…
It’s funny how you discover things about yourself when you’re not looking. Like last week, for example, when I found out that I’m not an opera guy. My wife wanted to expose our daughters to opera, and one of my friends with Opera Carolina comped me some tickets for the last dress rehearsal of The Magic Flute, by Mozart, at the beautiful Belk Theater in Charlotte. It was school night performance so the place was packed with kids ranging in age from…
I recently did our family budget for 2013. We’re middle class. We have a very good life and want for nothing. We’ve got braces, we take vacations, we drive good automobiles, we eat out occasionally, we have a 401K, and we have a roof. Well, it’s leaking in spots, but you know what I’m saying. Anyway, after doing the budget, I’ve concluded that the idea of a middle class family saving any kind of money today, without serious sacrifice, is…
I let my dogs lick my face. I have three real friends. I like show tunes. I loathe insincerity and falseness. I used to be a raging drunk filled with suicidal thoughts. I think most Americans are slaves to a machine we’ve built that twists our perception of what is most important in life – like Black Friday sales. I almost never say the right things, except when trying to sell things to people on behalf of other people. I’m dangerously curious…
A few weeks ago as we were driving through downtown Charlotte at night, my daughter Cozette (9) said, “I wish I could go to the top of that building at night.” as she gazed wondrously at the Duke Energy Center with its colorful LED lights that runs its vertical length and connects at the top. I immediately took out my phone and DM’d my friend Lisa Hoffmann who works in the Duke building. I explained Cozette’s wish, and we made secret arrangements…
One thing I’ve always loved about Twitter is that it forces brevity. Not unlike writing advertising. Be quick or be dead, and all that. Last December I published a post of some of my most favorite ‘favorited’ tweets from 2012, and though i’d try it again this year. So without further delay, here is chronological proof that I follow some pretty clever bastards. Many of whom are fellow copywriters. Thanks for keeping it interesting, y’all. Passive Voice, you are hated…
