Monday, June 15, 2020

Glutton for pun-ishment


I never bought into that old trope about how the fluttering of a butterfly wing in Malaysia can, through a series of contrived consequences, determine the price of tile grout in Des Moines.

Nevertheless, in writing this post, I'm about to set off a string of events that will result in my mailbox being stuffed as well as the possible crashing of my internet.

We need to hire a copywriter.

When I say we, I mean the company (still under an NDA) where I am currently employed. Perhaps 'employed' is a little misleading, I'm still a freelancer with a discussion about possible permanence to come. But that's another story, yet to be written.

What needs to be written right now are digital ads, emails, product packaging, social media, experiential activations and even the occasional TV spot. In other words, everything a copywriter does now at an ad agency.

Only it's not an ad agency.

It's better.

If you know me, and I have to assume if you're reading my blog, you do (I'm not internet-famous like my colleagues George Tannenbaum or Bob Hoffman), you also know I'm not big on apple polishing.

There's a lot to dislike and criticize about the ad industry, and much to my wife's dismay, I've committed plenty of digital ink to the topics, including The Long Table of Mediocrity™ and FFDKKs, Frivolous Fuckwadian Digital Knick Knacks™.

But I've been punching the clock at this job for more than 6 weeks now. No, literally punching a clock. The online timesheet system requires me to "Punch in" and "Punch out." It's charming in an analog way.

And while, like any job, there are things I don't enjoy, processes, apps and the whole Google eco-system, they are far outweighed by the things I love. The company, the brand, and the in house agency have put a premium on great creative and an even greater need for absurdist, unexpected, push-the- envelope humor.

And that is music to my 44 year old, increasingly hairy, ears.

So let's see the resumes/portfolios. Young or old, black or white, male or female, and everything in between. This is an opportunity to work for me without the bothersome annoyances that go hand in hand with being in the same room as me.

Flood the mailbox at: siegelrich@mac.com






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