INSIGHTS
Quentin Tarantino and the Art of Institutional Copywriting
When it comes to writing for a particular institution or voice, there are lessons to be learned from the film world — specifically, from one of our most heralded screenwriters. Since his debut with 1992‘s Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino has churned out characters that seem to spring fully-formed from his fertile mind. In 2019’s Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood, he’s once again writing for a distinct time and place — sleazy, swinging late 60’s L.A. — and nailing every voice along the way.
i’d like to teach the world to sing (down under edition)
The ads demonstrate a key aspect of any marketing campaign: the importance of recognizing a need, question, or problem, and building your campaign around that. Only when your problem is clear can you begin the process of arriving at a solution. For MLA, this clarity led to a series of innovative, humorous ads that draw on issues and qualities all Aussies can relate to — a true common denominator.
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (To Sell Products)
The excitement over Chevrolet’s holiday spot, “A Holiday to Remember,” is palpable. Not only has it been viewed 1.3M times on YT (as of this writing), but it managed to get this hard-bitten marketer to tear up on not one but two occasions.
the Art of Misleading Marketing
Did Neon do Enys Men any favors? Yes and no. The point of marketing is to make something seem appealing, even when the subject matter may be hard to parse or unpleasant. I know this. I’ve done plenty of it in my life. But what happens when marketing builds an expectation that can’t be met? Does this help the product, or does it put the product in the uncomfortable position of having to go on podcasts and defend itself as “not really horror, but…” in an effort to please its corporate overlords?
A Marketing Presentation to the Remaining Residents of Bodega Bay, Ca
As you know, my firm has been retained by the Rotary Club of Bodega Bay to oversee the revitalization of the town following recent incidents that caused a good deal of property damage and the demise of several members of your community. Allow me to say how terribly sorry we are for all that you have endured, and how shocked we are that the destruction occurred as a result of bird attacks.
Target Marketing — or, A Brief Guide to College Rock
There was a moment, around 2014, when I realized that most of the music I enjoyed was, at most, three or four degrees removed from R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe. I drew up a flow chart of all of the artists I knew who were associated with Stipe, then connected them to other artists. Unsurprisingly, there was an insane amount of overlap.