Trade Secrets Training: The Poetry of the Pack

Improve your copy performance in a sizzling environment

Have a close look at the copy on your favourite box of cereal, snack or smoothie. It has to pack a punch in a minuscule number of characters. It’s some of the hardest-working, most inventive copy on the market.

So we’ve asked hard-working, inventive copywriter Fraser Southey to come and share some of the trade secrets he’s gleaned through years of writing short snappy copy for Cheerios, Shredded Wheat and Weetabix.

Fraser also works for big brands like Barclaycard, Shell and M&S, so will tell us how you can sneak the fizz and crunch techniques of pack copy into longer writing forms.

Whatever type of copywriting work you do, we can guarantee that you’ll have fun and take away some tips you can apply straight away.

In this highly interactive 2.5 hour workshop, you’ll:

• Have a go at taking risks and having fun with language.
• Learn how to write ‘romance’ copy that seduces the reader.
• Discover the potent power of alliteration, exclamation marks and ‘funny starts’.
• Extend metaphors and similes further than you ever thought possible.
• Learn how to apply these techniques to strait-laced, long copy.

The Poetry of the Pack workshop will also feature special guest Dave Buchan, a pack design guru and owner of Ocean Branding. He’ll reveal what makes an outstanding pack (it usually involves a Monsters Inc character) and what type of copy shines most brightly from a designer’s perspective.

Participants are strongly advised to bring thick pens and if possible, a plain box or container of around A4 size on which to express their genius – and possibly win prizes!

Fee: a lowly £150 if you’re a member of 26 (if not, all you need to do is join).

Your call to action: email training coordinator Rachel Marshall. She’ll tell you what you need to do in order to secure your place. If you’re not already a member, join 26 – it’s only £26 a year!