Copywriting great Drayton Bird recalls one of the finest talks on copywriting he’s ever witnessed. Entitled “20 Opinionated Answers to 20 Questions Nobody Asked,” it’s full of wit and wisdom which is just as relevant today – even if the mediums have evolved. Take away just one lesson and you’re sure to benefit.
Herschell Gordon Lewis tells the story of how he transformed a technical product description into something rather more attractive. He really grabbed this one by the lion’s mane!
Drayton Bird – the most direct of direct marketers – deconstructs an advert from an investment company. Why was it so bad? Drayton explains in gruesome detail.
Again we reach into the back catalogue of the late copywriting titan Herschell Gordon Lewis. This time he pulls apart the “expert” advice which fails to disguise its real agenda. Don’t make the same mistake!
Copywriting straight-talker Drayton Bird explores what it means to build a strong brand. Forget the usual piffle you hear, the idea is actually very simple. If only it was easy to implement!
It’s easy for marketers to lose sight of what really matters. Creative minds shoot off in all directions, while the plethora of platforms can distract as well as solve. The timeless wisdom of the late Herschell Gordon Lewis ensures you focus your energy where it matters most.
Drayton Bird recently read a guide to email marketing. He wasn’t impressed. In fact, he found it astonishingly bad. A dearth of examples, a torrent of vacuous claims and a scattering of irrelevant imagery. I’m sure you can do better!
Do you ‘optimise’ more than you’d like to think? Are you a regular ‘utiliser’? Then it’s time to kick the habit, says the late great Herschell Gordon Lewis.
Waffles may have a place at the breakfast table, but they have no place in your copy. Especially in the first paragraph! Drayton Bird offers childishly simple advice that we adults too often overlook.
Rosser Reeves was an advertising titan from a dim and distant past. The late great Herschell Gordon Lewis reveals the timeless lesson all direct marketers should learn from him. (Note: this article is an excerpt from our eBook featuring a collection of Herschell’s works.)