“I’m a male of near retiring age, and I will never be invited to buy a skateboard, attend a Foo Fighters’ concert or shop for a pair of high heels. And I’m as mad as hell about it!”
So begins a typical rant by Creative Director and seasoned copywriter Keith Tricker, who has spent a lifetime in a love-hate relationship with the advertising profession, and still has the energy – between senior moments – to get pretty riled up about it!
The Diary of a Hopping Mad Ad Man is a compilation of witty and insightful extracts from his blog for Simpsons Creative, covering the coming of age of celebrity culture, product placement, QR codes and other ‘abominations’.
It also contains a wealth of trade secrets and career advice for aspiring ad men and women.
Here he is on brands and branding: "A brand is more than a badge. Simply changing the name of a product doesn't alter its essential content or character. I could change my name to Elvis and do a tribute act at my local pub, but it wouldn't be to shouts of 'Elvis Lives!', nor would the rebrand do anything for my image, which would be revealed as irretrievably naff"
And on copywriting: "It's both a blessing and a curse being a member of my profession. On the one hand you're given privileged, behind the scenes access to some weird and wonderful people. On the other hand you have to act as their interpreter. Personally I'm fluent in management speak, computer jargon, institutional PC (otherwise known as Guardianese) and new age mumbo jumbo".
And marketing: "The capitalist system depends on finding new expanding markets. The use of QR codes on gravestones offers an exciting breakthrough. Having exhausted those of the Third World, the next marketing opportunity is to open up the gates of Hades. After all, there's more of them than there are of us!"
All of which makes the Diary of a Hopping Mad Ad Man “A scorching read by a seasoned pro” – even if he says so himself!
So begins a typical rant by Creative Director and seasoned copywriter Keith Tricker, who has spent a lifetime in a love-hate relationship with the advertising profession, and still has the energy – between senior moments – to get pretty riled up about it!
The Diary of a Hopping Mad Ad Man is a compilation of witty and insightful extracts from his blog for Simpsons Creative, covering the coming of age of celebrity culture, product placement, QR codes and other ‘abominations’.
It also contains a wealth of trade secrets and career advice for aspiring ad men and women.
Here he is on brands and branding: "A brand is more than a badge. Simply changing the name of a product doesn't alter its essential content or character. I could change my name to Elvis and do a tribute act at my local pub, but it wouldn't be to shouts of 'Elvis Lives!', nor would the rebrand do anything for my image, which would be revealed as irretrievably naff"
And on copywriting: "It's both a blessing and a curse being a member of my profession. On the one hand you're given privileged, behind the scenes access to some weird and wonderful people. On the other hand you have to act as their interpreter. Personally I'm fluent in management speak, computer jargon, institutional PC (otherwise known as Guardianese) and new age mumbo jumbo".
And marketing: "The capitalist system depends on finding new expanding markets. The use of QR codes on gravestones offers an exciting breakthrough. Having exhausted those of the Third World, the next marketing opportunity is to open up the gates of Hades. After all, there's more of them than there are of us!"
All of which makes the Diary of a Hopping Mad Ad Man “A scorching read by a seasoned pro” – even if he says so himself!
