What Makes Top Copywriters Tick (and Why)? Part One

• Ever wondered what inspires top copywriters like Drayton Bird and Steve Harrison?
• Struggling to find your own “big creative idea”?
• Looking for expert copywriting tips from the best in the business?

If so, then “Euston, Do You Copy?” is here to help. We asked the finest copywriters in town what influenced their writing – apart from other writers.

Over the next three blog posts you’ll hear their answers – which may surprise you. Fear, ambition, Brian Eno, shampoo bottles, the QVC shopping channel, Japanese poems – all have helped inspire some of the most memorable campaigns of recent years.

Sounds interesting? Just read on and you’ll. . .

Learn the secrets of today’s most influential copywriters

You’ll get invaluable insights into the ritual and romance of copywriting from true legends Drayton Bird and Steve Harrison.  Plus you’ll hear from:

• Best-selling authors and copywriters Andy Maslen and Roger Horberry
• D&AD winners Nick Asbury and Jim Davies
• Author and copywriter John Simmons
• Award-winning copywriters John Fountain and Mike Reed
• Freelance superstars Jill Tomlinson and Sarah Turner
• Multi-talented designer, blogger and copywriter Richard Weston
• Acclaimed New York-based copywriter and blogger Lorraine Thompson
• Author and Creative Review’s Website Editor Neil Ayres

These folks have helped boost the sales of brands like Microsoft, Mercedes-Benz, The Economist, British Gas, Visa Europe, Sky, Howies, BBC, HSBC, Penguin, IKEA, Orange, Vodafone – and many more.

Ten valuable copywriting lessons you’ll never forget

Over the next three blog posts, you’ll learn:

1. How to take inspiration from everything around you
2. Why hard work is the key to your copywriting success
3. How to make your reader your sole point of focus
4. Why being nervous can be a good thing
5. Why you should never settle for second-best
6. How literary influences could help your copywriting (or sabotage it)
7. Why discipline is the secret to creative freedom
8. How (and where) to learn the psychology of selling
9. Why glam rock can give you a master class in branding
10. Why you should be proud to be a copywriter

In part one of your exclusive three-part “Euston, Do You Copy?” series, we hear from one of Direct Mail’s biggest names - Drayton Bird. . .

“Drayton Bird knows more about direct marketing than anyone in the world” (David Ogilvy)

The CIM named Drayton as one of 50 people who shaped today’s marketing. He’s the author of four leading texts: “Commonsense Direct and Digital Marketing” – out in 17 languages; “Sales Letters that Sell”, “Marketing Insights and Outrages” and “Direct Marketing for Lawyers”.

Drayton’s written over 1,000 columns and spoken in 50 countries. He’s worked with many leading brands, including Amex, BA, Hargreaves Lansdown, Mercedes, Microsoft, Nestle, P & G, IBM, Unilever and Visa.

As Vice-Chairman and Creative Director, he helped O&M Direct become the world’s largest DM agency network, and was elected to the worldwide Ogilvy Group board. Drayton now runs Drayton Bird Associates and has interests in three other firms.

What Makes Drayton Bird Tick (and Why)?

Drayton was kind enough to send us the following illuminating response, which he later featured on his blog:

“I am inspired by:

Desperation — the knowledge that I HAVE to come up with something.

Fear — that this time I will fail (and I sometimes do).

Fascination — with new things and people. Every time I learn something new or meet someone interesting it makes me happy and starts me thinking.

Example — whenever I see someone who does something well, even if don’t have any skill in that area, it goads me on to do better. Years ago I saw a masterclass by Casals. I can’t play any instrument, but that cheered me up no end.

Oddities — I rejoice in them. Never stop looking out for them. They lead to interesting ideas, I suspect.

A sense of inferiority — I think what I do has little merit, but at least I can try and do it well.

Fury — it maddens me to see how many people settle for second or even third best. Why bother to live if you feel that way?”

“Since I wrote that list,” Drayton writes, “three other things came to mind. I find going for a walk gives me ideas, as does the demon drink and its nasty aftermath, the hangover. I do not recommend the latter two courses; the evidence is in the picture on this page.”

Thanks for reading.

You can learn all about Drayton at his excellent website.

Coming up. . .

Steve Harrison, the world’s most successful creative director, tells us about hard work, good salesmanship and why you should be proud to be a copywriter. . .