From Sean O’Donnell, Group Copy Supervisor, Palio
Any time I sit back to admire my brilliant concept, clever headline or ground-breaking body copy, I ask my self, “What Would Joe and Dave Do?” Then I picture myself standing in Joe and Dave’s corner office, waiting to hear words of admiration flow freely. But it usually follows along these lines:
Dave: Yeah, keep going.
Joe: (perplexed) Did you read the brief?
Dave: Should we put someone else on this?
Joe: (sound of scribbling) You need a headline like this.
Dave: Or this.
Joe: Study the award books. Don’t copy ‘em.
Dave: Were you out late last night?
Then I’d take another look, a hard one, at my work. Yeah, my headline lacked punch. The body copy really didn’t have any flow. And the concept was a poor man’s iteration of an ad in Archive magazine. Damn, they were right again.
Who are Joe and Dave? My first creative directors, and more importantly, my mentors.
Hopefully you’ve had one. I was lucky to have two. Eleven years ago they saw potential in me. Or maybe HR told them that I’d be sent back to Project Management if I didn’t work out. Either way, they nurtured, nudged and never gave up on me.
I didn’t look up to them only because they had won boatloads of awards and were written up in countless magazines. I admired the way they would grind it out without complaint. They were ‘roll up the sleeves and let’s get the job done’ guys in an office that had its fair share of prima donnas. But these two blue-collared creatives constantly churned out gold. And I was an eager writer who desperately wanted to learn how they created ads that were simple and powerful.
Over the years I’ve worked for a range of creative directors. Some who were one-trick ponies and should have never held the title. And others who were truly gifted, but enjoyed the power to belittle. But Joe and Dave possessed a rare combination in this business. They knew when to push, when to help, and when to give a pat on the back. To that young copywriter standing in Joe and Dave’s office right now – do what they say and you’ll turn out alright.
And if Joe and Dave were reading this right now, they’d tell me to cut the copy in half. They’re right again.
Palio is a full-spectrum global pharmaceutical and consumer advertising, marketing, and communications agency that excels in brand creation and specializes in brand strategy, product launches, global marketing, and digital and integrated media.
