Apparently some clients think that coming up with lines that “enhance” their brand is a very simple affair. In just one day, they expect the humble (junior) copywriter aka me to come up with some brilliant tagline that will burn the impression of their brand into the minds of each and every consumer. It’s just one line they say?? I’d like to fill the space between their ears with my foot.

This is the impression I get of how things work around my agency. At presentation, client looks at initial ideas. Nods head. Client hears costing. Shakes head. AE tries feebly to sell idea and finally also shakes head. Client thinks a little and comes up with revolutionary, cutting-edge, world-changing, life-saving suggestion i.e. lets go cheapo! Get your copywriter to come up with a line that enhances the brand by, say, the day after tomorrow. To which AE blinks twice, nods, and marches out of room.

Back in office, AE shuffles/tiptoes/trudges to copywriter’s desk only to find him writing copious amounts of copy for his blog. AE goes “Ahem” which prompts copywriter to quickly alt-tab to MS outlook. AE continues, “I need you!” Copywriter wiggles nose. Undeterred, AE perseveres, “Client wants a line that enhaaaaaannces their brand… (Copywriter starts counting sheep…1,2,3,4,5) by Thursday.” And suddenly all the sheep go bleating back to their pen. “THURSDAY?!? That means it’ll have to be out by tomorrow!” AE triumphantly replies, “YUP! That’s right” and then shuffles/tiptoes/trudges happily away.

Okok… so tight deadlines are part and parcel of the job. So cracking your head overnight while recovering from a yakiniku buffet is a necessary hazard. But still, you’d think that clients could be a little bit more reasonable with their demands. Anyway, the line’s out and the designers are working on the layout. Time to start counting sheep again.