John Bevins on "Good Copywriting"

The Copywriter Column #186

John Bevins was an inspiring creative director (and copywriter) known for his iconic campaigns for New Zealand Tourism, MBF, Microsoft Word, and others.

His insight into “good” copywriting is timely for most of us in the space (emphasis mine):

While I can’t teach you to write copy, I can tell you what writing copy has taught me. You can have bad ideas but you don’t, at least in my experience, “have” good ideas. You find good ideas.

And (emphasis mine):

Copywriting has taught me that you don’t write great ads, great ads write themselves. All you need to do is dig relentlessly for gems in the most unlikely of places.

And (emphasis mine):

[Copywriting’s] taught me too these others mantras:

You never know what you’re looking for until you find it, and you’ll never find it if you know what you’re looking for. (There’s no process.)

Spell it out and it’s out with the spell. (The reader’s imagination is as important as yours.)

Product advertising explains the product to me. Brand advertising explains me to me. (Empathy.)

It’s taught me that great clients and colleagues are crucial to great work, you never do it alone, and therefore you have to find the right agency.

Or start your own.

It has taught me that you have to be in the right mood to write.

(And that the way to get into the right mood to write is To Write.)

I love his wisdom here.

There’s no process.
The reader’s imagination is as important as yours.
Empathy.
The way to get into the right mood to write is TO WRITE.

There’s a bias toward action buried underneath the creativity of every copywriter. A bias to try new things. A bias to chase curiosity. A bias to feel what others feel with others. A bias to just do the work.

Curious to know your thoughts…

P.S. I started a daily newsletter called the daily log. Check it out and subscribe here.

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