What book are you taking on your summer holidays? Mike Reed I’ll be taking Light, by M John Harrison, which... Read More
Target audiences, guerilla marketing, brand territory… should marketers be worried about using so many military metaphors? It feels a bit... Read More
How important is it to have a writing outlet other than commercial work? John Simmons Vital. It’s very easy to... Read More
Should foreign language entries be accepted in D&AD Writing For Design? Tim Rich No tengo ni idea como los altavoces... Read More
What typeface do you prefer to write in and why? Jim Davies, totalcontent Helvetica 45 Light. Knowing the designers I... Read More
More companies, including McDonald’s, are being moved to verse to advertise their products. Is this a welcome development? Stuart Delves... Read More
Do we still need ‘correct’ spelling? Martin Lee It’s preferable, but we probably need mutual tolerance of shortcomings more. John... Read More
Is it possible to write brilliant copy for a brand you hate? Roger Horberry No. I don’t care how professional... Read More
Whose line is it anyway? When does ‘borrowing’ become plagiarism? Roger Horberry, Alp Associates “It’s not where you take things... Read More
‘What’s the perfect stocking filler for the business writer about town?’ Roger Horberry, Alp Associates Sorry to be so obvious,... Read More
What’s the most essential reference work on the commercial writer’s bookshelf? Mike Reed, Reed Words Mine are largely the obvious... Read More
What advice would you give to a young graduate starting out in copywriting? Fiona Thompson I’d start by making friends... Read More
Writing awards: are there enough of them and do they mean anything anyway? Martin Lee, Acacia Avenue There’s definitely a... Read More
Punctuation. A writer’s best friend or creative straightjacket? Martin Lee, Acacia Avenue To me, punctuation marks are like extra letters... Read More
The new Economist ads: inspired continuation of a legendary campaign, or a load of increasingly tired old puns? Jim Davies,... Read More
What is your favourite children’s book? The Possum that Didn’t by Frank Tashlin Frank was a cartoon animator for Warner... Read More
Which defunct brand do you most miss, and why? I seriously miss Woollies… and suspect many do but are too... Read More
‘Do you have an adjective better than merry for Christmas?’ John Simmons ‘Uneventful’ would suit me fine. After my soap... Read More
Is the standard of business writing higher today than it was five years ago? Nick Asbury I think there’s undoubtedly... Read More
Does social media pose a threat to copywriters’ livelihoods? Roger Horberry By definition no. Bloggers don’t write brochures and so... Read More
Are brands (and brand writing) responsible for over-consumption? If so, what should be done about it? James Hogwood Unquestionably there... Read More
Every year, copywriters go all cheesy at Christmas. Please share some of your stinkiest seasonal lines with us. Mike Reed,... Read More
What’s the strangest place you’ve ever ‘done it’? (Business writing, that is.) Rishi Dastidar The National Maritime Museum, writing slogans... Read More
There were no digital entries in the 2009 D&AD Awards Writing for Design category. How do you account for this,... Read More
From a professional wordsmithing point of view, what would be your dream project? Tim Rich Last year I finished leading... Read More
Which sporting manager would do best in the business world – and why? John Simmons Obviously, I’d say Arsene Wenger.... Read More
Gadgets and gizmos: which pieces of technology most benefit your life as a writer? Fiona Thompson I love my Griffin... Read More
Could you forgive a great campaign idea if it was badly written? Roger Horberry, Alp Associates No. In fact I... Read More
Hampstead or Harrogate? Leeds or Land’s End? Bristol or Belfast? Where’s the best place for a writer to ply their... Read More
Plain English – good business practice or just plain boring? Lindsay Camp, writer and author of ‘Can I Change Your... Read More
Tone of voice: valuable business commodity or meaningless buzzphrase? Chris Bird, Word Bird Ben & Jerry, those chunky monkeys, were... Read More
Which literary character would you most like to go on holiday with? Roger Horberry: Eeyore would be perfect for the... Read More
A semi-regular vox-pop feature in which 26 members voice their opinions on the ‘hot’ topics of the day… This month:... Read More
Business language is a rich breeding ground for new buzzwords and phrases. What’s the best or worst you’ve come across... Read More
Can you work with background music? And if so, what’s your pleasure? Nick Asbury I can’t, much as I’d like... Read More
Emoticons: a useful addition to the written language, or a threat to writing as we know it? :-0 Mike Reed... Read More
The colour of 2010, according to Pantone, is 15-5519 Turquoise. But what would be your word of the year? Martin... Read More
Is it a good thing for copywriters to have their own distinctive writing style? Jim Davies We’re supposed to be... Read More
How do you go about unblocking writer’s block? Fiona Thompson The best way to cure writer’s block is to have... Read More
Copy by committee – is there any place for teamwork in writing? Matthew McCracken You can tell when something’s been... Read More
‘In these straitened economic times, what will you be cutting back on?’ Tom Lynham Crates of Bollinger, the Roller will... Read More
Most 26 members are in the business of using language as a persuasive tool. What lessons (if any) can we... Read More
How useful is an English degree for a career in business writing? John Simmons I’ve got an English degree and... Read More
Even if they were paying top dollar, who wouldn’t you work for? Heather Atchison Even if they were paying me... Read More
Abused and over-used. In the context of business writing, what words or phrases really annoy you? Simon Caulkin, The Observer... Read More
Predicting the year ahead in Design Week, John Allert of Interbrand wrote: “Design can no longer be defined by the... Read More
There have been several books published recently railing against the evils of jargon and management speak. Do you think there’s... Read More