How to be a copywriter

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

COLLECTIVE NEWSLETTER: January 2007 review

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Press coverage: Photoshoot

Ad in Adformatie

Spreading the love: Valentine mailing

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Press coverage

We were interviewed by ReclameWeek today and there will be a full-page article on us in the next issue. They need a photo so we’re doing one in the office (Gerard Doustraat 248, Amsterdam) at 4pm this Monday. Can you come down? Men will wear my suits – ladies if you could wear something formal. The photo will also be used in magazines in other countries and will replace this one in our communications, but it will be a different concept. Maybe Reservoir Dogs. We’ll decide on the day. With so many creatives the ideas will be an embarrassment of riches. Bring one along!


Cartoon ad

Here’s the ad that Fraser Bailey and Craig Lovelidge have created. The wonderful illustration is by Janneke Huijnk. It ran in Adformatie last week and 3 new ones will appear in upcoming issues before the summer. I’ll send them as I get them. Great work.

New agent

I’m happy to welcome Lauren Alexander from South Africa to the team. She is working part-time calling British agencies from Campaign.

Website hits

More than ever.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

COLLECTIVE NEWSLETTER: November review

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Christmas dinner

Poker party

Album launch party photos

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Christmas dinner
It’s that time of year again. The Collective Christmas Dinner. A fun-filled evening of fun and laughter – and that’s just my speech. This year’s location is upstairs at: Eetcafe van Buuren, Sarphatipark 4,
Amsterdam, 020 675 9945. It’s near The Collective office – the other end of the Sarphatipark. Drinks from 6.30pm. Dinner 7.30pm. 14 euros for a main course approx. (an optional 3-courses for 21.50). Excl. drinks. Payment on the day. (The location has changed from the Waag because it was too expensive.) Hope to see you all there. Please RSVP to sharlene@thecollective-europe.com in advance. Guests welcome.

VARs
If you’re invoicing from NL, please remember to apply for new VARs and send them to us. No payment of invoices w
ithout up-to-date VARs. It’s the law!

Business cards
If you want free business cards just get in touch with me.

Bulldog
Don’t fall asleep around Peter Strange here’s his new commercial for the Bulldog in
Amsterdam http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icIMIub6c4k

Cricket
Also on You Tube, John Richardson had his cricket knowledge tested on Dutch television http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGtgCKl1os0

New callers needed
We need some new part-time members of staff. If you have know friends who are looking for work contacting advertising. Languages and ad knowledge advantageous. It’s basically going through Campaign (UK) and Pub (BE) and contacting interesting agencies. 1 day a week. Based in Amsterdam.

3D web developers
We need 3D web developers to create online worlds. Any experience or desire to be, please get in touch.

New members
Happy to welcome the following new freelancers this month.

ROXANA ILINCA- ROMANIAN

Copywriter

I am a passion driven professional, I love my job and I’m sure I could do nothing else better. I’m experienced in both ATL and BTL, flexible in style and manner and I never walk on the same path twice. I like to do things differently each and every time, but following a coherent line, so that none of the brands I’m in charge with alter its’ identity strength.
I always try to find the perfect match between the idea and its’ materialization. That’s why I’ve chosen an art partner who helps me make an idea-shape-material whole.


CATALIN ILINCA- ROMANIAN

Designer
I am a talented creative, flexible in style, manner and field, highly sensitive to detail and with a perfectionist attitude.
My experience includes work in print media (ad prints, brochures, posters, stamps, book covers, outdoors etc.), interactive media (web sites, cd-rom's), animation (2D& 3D), motion graphics (intro movies, video editings), illustrations and corporate identities. Due to my working for many clients (BBDO Bucharest, Sony, Philip Morris, Leo Burnett Bucharest, USAID, General Electric, National Democratic Institute, The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and others) and my contacts with different environments,
I have become a versatile professional, experienced in art direction, freelance and corporate work
.

NIGEL LUHMAN

Copywriter
Having learnt the tricks of the trade at a global publishing house, I have been putting my love of language to good use as a copywriter and journalist since 1995. And I must admit English is a very handy tool for the job. In the meantime, my client list includes international corporations and advertising agencies located throughout Germany. Companies clever enough to hire someone to write their copy for the target audience from the very start. And not simply have their own ideas translated...

KERSTIN HEYMACH

Artdirector
Kerstin is a 12 year experienced German Art Director who won great awards throughout the years and worked with great clients such as the well known Media Markt, Lexus, Jaguar, Kraft and Swatch.

Website hits
6320 this month and No. 6 when you search The Collective. Oh to be popular.

JSF LLL album launch
Party was great.
Thanks all who came for coming.

Poker tournament

Dear all,

Instead of the collective end-of-month drinks we’re going to have a poker tournament. Gamble all your hard-earned income on a turn of the card. Just like in the movies.

Saturday 9th December. Amsterdam

Texas hold’em no limit tournament

20 euro buy-in (max. 1 re-buy-in).

Pre-sign-up compulsory. Send an e-mail to jack.stafford@thecollective-europe.com

Pay on the day. 7.30pm get-in – 8pm kickoff. 2pm curfew.

Invite friends – the more mugs the merrier.

COLLECTIVE NEWSLETTER: September review

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New members

Job vacancy
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Not so much news this month. Too busy working on jobs. But here are some new faces:

New members

BART VAN GOETHEM - FL

Conceptual copywriter

I am a conceptual copywriter from Brussels. I’ve worked for Publicis among others and samples of clients are Renault, Jeep, Chrysler, Coca-Cola, Garnier, Head&Shoulders, Club Med and IKEA.

TOM JENKINS

Conceptual copywriter

I began as a JWT trainee. After winning Campaign Press and Poster, and D+AD Silvers, plus a Cannes Silver at Davidson Pearce, David Abbott hired me. I won awards and D+AD Annual Entries across AMV’s accounts. As CD of Colmans I won D+ AD TV Silver, and then became an associate CD at DDB on VW, followed by the Creative Directorship of Euro/RSCG. After returning from Philadelphia, where I was CD of Wieden + Kennedy, I rejoined AMV/BBDO as a board director. As a freelancer I have written and produced TV (Tiscali, Swiftcover Insurance, Ryvita) along with radio and print.
















JOOST HULSBOSCH

Art Director

My personal ethoses are: My job is to give you what you want and My job is to give what you didn't know you wanted until you saw it. So far, Joost has received more than 92 creative awards, several works have won Grand Prix, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Design and Art Direction Finalists for festivals as the Cannes Film + Print Festival, The One Show, NY Festivals, London Awards, Loerie Awards RSA, Eagle Awards RSA, ADCN, CCB, etc. More than 24 major Effectiveness awards, several of which won the Grand Prix, Gold en Silver for Effie Nederland, APEX International, etc. Work gets regularly published in Achieve Magazine, Communication Arts, Creative Review, Print magazine.










JAKOB THUEMOES- DANISH

Designer
He’s a graphic designer with a touch of illustrator. Loves his applicable grids and templates in effect, and the appropriate subversion of both. Strives to create fresh and user-friendly identities and print for clients within fashion, tourism, and government










CRAIG MARAIS- AFRICAN

Photographer

Photographer with a passion for the visual image and the equipment needed to capture those images. Experienced in both film and digital, in e6 Positive and c41 Negative processes in the darkroom. From high end Digital Capture to 4x5 slide film. Studied photography for three years and assisted one of South Africa's top photographers. In this time I worked with most of South Africa's top creative directors and was lucky enough to travel to various countries working on car shoots. Singapore to shoot Lexus for Saatchi and Saatchi Singapore. Italy, Portugal and Switzerland to shoot Honda for Hakahodo Germany. Jaguar in Cape Town for a agency in London called Cogent etc.

Job vacancy
There’s also a job vacancy that some of you might be interested in (I’ve already called a few of you about it but no takers yet). CCO of a good large 4A's multinational agency wants to find a Creative Director for Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, details below.

An award-winning writer-based CD
With dairy products experience/TV
Excellent English language skills.

Package offered is between US$150,000 and US$200,000.- (tax free)

This would be a good opportunity for a youngish writer-based CD with packaged goods experience to enter a thriving market, possibly as a stepping stone into Dubai...lots of regional interaction. Large agency background.

COLLECTIVE NEWSLETTER: July/August review

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New member of staff: Gerardo Perfors

The Collective on tour: Berlin

Insert in creative magazine

Now over 200 members

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August is our busiest time of year. With everyone on holiday, the demand for freelancers goes through the roof, so there was no collective newsletter last month. Here are all the goings on for July and August.

New members of staff
Gerardo Perfors, a European studies student from Mexico, is working here two days a week contacting agencies.

Berlin visit
I went round advertising agencies in Berlin with the portfolio last week and got a good response.

Advertising
We had an insert in the latest issue of the Dutch creatie magazine. The response was good. An ad will go in Adformatie soon.

New members
With these new additions we now have over 200 members. Many of the disciplines are still empty though, so if you know more good people – please recommend them.

CIRA LÓPEZ FERNÁNDEZ

Conceptual copywriter
I’m a 33 year old woman with a lot of interests. I communicate enthusiastically and I enjoy working in a team. I love to dance, listen to music,
write, move by bicycle and eat sunflower seeds. I have a special experience on food and drink advertising, in where I’ve always tried to make equal communication between men and women. And it is not easy in a field where even nowadays the woman place is in the kitchen! I choose for being freelancer because I wanted to try another discipline and client types. Besides being a freelancer I’ve written a teenage novel and now I’m working on publishing it. I’m easy going, hard working and happy.


DANIELA FERRANDO

Conceptual copywriter
I’m focused on web concept/content /copywriting as a freelancer since 1997, on top of 10+ years corporate communication experience in a wide range of business areas. I worked on branding, positioning, localisation projects, start-ups, naming... feeling comfortable with editorial processes and event building. I’m a direct, flexible and independent consultant - always ready to teamwork. BTW, my passion for words overflows onto calligrams and dislograms.

ADRIEN SERRES

Art Director
Im a 29 years old art director with more than 7 years of experience in TV print and outdoor advertising, I worked for the biggest ad agencies around the world. I'm creative, young, hard-working, and I also work well with others. I have experience working with other art directors, creative directors, copywriters, pre-press personnel, as well as some outside vendors, clients, directors, photographers, and am proficient in all the latest versions of design software (Photoshop,Illustrator,InDesign,Xpress, Flash,AfterEffect).I'm also 100% trilingual (English, French and Spanish) and have also German notions.


DON SEIDENBERG

Copywriter
I am a native New Yorker currently living in
Amsterdam. My writing is focused and to the point. It can inform, persuade or sell. I can make complex products understandable to a non-technical audience. Like to write ads, brochures and folders. Love to write websites, speeches and scripts.



FLEUR KONING

Photographer
I am a photographer since 7 years and I worked for several magazines in Holland for example Avantgarde, Squeeze, Elle-girl and Blvd. Besides Holland I’ve also worked Internationally for The Dutch, Pashion magazine, I also did street castings for Octopix (Paris), and worked with Mario Testino for the Britisch Voque. I won 2 times the coiffure award in 2005 and came 2nd in 2006.


RAUL RODRIGUEZ

Designer
As an art director and designer I have worked for local and international clients, design studios and advertising agencies in Mexico City, Canada, The Czech Republic and The Netherlands. Creativity, passion, belief and quality are my keywords to develop clear communicative concepts. Combining the strength of my international experience with different cultures motivates and challenges me to create the best work for the clients and their brands.

JOSE LOUWERS

Copywriter

Supple, nice readable writings style (short & long). Of colourfully till grey, dependent on the desired result. In state of setting short time complex matters into real language. Experience in texts with regards to automotive but also very interested in human interest, fashion, styling and architecture. And according to me a committed/driven writer can make something very nice of each subject in the world.


RUTGER MULLEMEISTER

Photographer
In 2002 I started a business as portrait photographer. Soon it became a success and clients from all over the country found their way to the studio in
Rotterdam. After four years specializing in portraiture, I am now expanding my business into the field of fashion. Several clients already commissioned me for editorial photoshoots and advertisements. For me, photographing people is the most fascinating job I can think of. During a shoot I make people happy. Enthusiasm and the way I treat the models, is my USP. I always get the best out of the model.

SOLON GIOVANNI DE PAULA MIRANDA

Artdirector
started working 10 years ago in
Rio de Janeiro. After 2 years working there I was looking for an improvement and I decided to move to Sao Paulo, the biggest market in Brazil. After a few months I got a big chance to work at W/Brasil and one year after I was invited to work at DM9DDB, one of the best agencies in Brazil. I can tell that there I got the best opportunities in my career. I worked with big clients and big professionals and I can say that in that time I became a really art director.

Website hits

Hits: 7214

COLLECTIVE NEWSLETTER: April review (Confidential)

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New member of staff: Cecile Lemarie

The Collective on tour: Hamburg

Interactive emailer

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New member of staff

I’m happy to welcome a new member of staff – Cecile Lemarie. Cecile is a French lady that will work part time promoting THE COLLECTIVE to French and Belgium companies and agencies.

German appointments

I’ll be visiting agencies in Hamburg on Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th April with the collective portfolio. I’m playing a show there on Monday night so were killing two birds with one stone. If you’re in Hamburg come on down www.ponybar.com

ACTing up

Weve been working like dogs getting our Excel database of 20,000 advertising contacts into Act (Contact management software). Advice: if you’re ever working with a database then get it in one of these programs from the start, or prepare to spend months dragging, copying, editing…

Next emailer

Here is a preview of the next emailer to go out (you need Active X allowed on your computer to view it). It’s designed to promote the creatives with online experience, for who there is more and more demand. It will go out next week, so there is still time to be featured in it if you can send us three samples ofgood online/interactive work. Send to Emilia@thecollective-europe.com



New members

A record number of new freelancers in this issue as these are from the past two months. We’re delighted to welcome

CATHY HUTTON, British Copywriter

I come with curly hair and a slight Scottish accent. I can never sit still, so I’ve gained plenty of useless skills - screen-printing and silver-smithing being just two of them. This year I made some stickers (www.wakemeupat.com), which are now selling in some shops in London. I’m a cheery person to have around and I can make a right nice cup of tea too.

PATRICK VAN DER VLIET,Dutch Designer


As
a freelancer I am specialised in the crossmedia and interactive industry with a focus on interactivity, media convergence and concepting excellence. Activities include concept development, creative execution, and project management. I have a thorough understanding of interactive and broadcast media, and human behaviour in crossmedia environments.


JOOST HULSBOSCH, Dutch Designer

Joost is an obsessive, trustworthy, multi-award winning graphic designer / art director / idea-based craftsman.

Passionate. Positive. Fit. Effective presenter. Strong business mind. Award winner (72x, from world-wide golds, silver, bronzes, to many craftsmanship certificates. So far.) Work is published in international publications. (Communication Arts. Print. Archive. Creative Review.) Excellent crafts/skill transfer.

I live both in Johannesburg and in Cape Town - and I can travel easy (in the same time) for the larger European projects. Currently, I’m doing projects on several continents: in the Netherlands, South Africa, and in the USA. I’ve previously worked as CD at DDBAmsterdam, but I’m mostly known for my international graphic design, brand identity, print and TV campaign work.


JEFF SUTHONS, Bristish Copywriter

I’m an ideas-based art director with 20 years experience working in top London agencies. Dean and I work direct to client on 8 beer brands, including Lowenbrau, Franziskaner and Hobgoblin (this is for the same client who was marketing director of Carling Black Label during my days at WCRS 18 years ago). However, most of the time I freelance at agencies in London and Europe doing ATL, DM and digital. I also have a men’s underwear company, Brass Monkeys.


OLIVER DIETRICH, German Copywriter


ERCOLE EGIZI – Italian Copywriter

Over 10 years in Advertising industry as a Creative Head (copywriter background) for Hill Holliday - Boston, Grey Worldwide and McCann Erikson. Great experience on International accounts, with large background in strategy, brand development (Seagram Spirits, Procter & Gamble, Unilever) and terrific New Business skills.

Large experience in commercials production and in new digital areas. I develope the first Italian Interactive Movie for Interactive TV, 3G Phones and Web (Ebiscom TV, Fastweb)


JAAP VAN HAASTRECHT, Dutch Copywriter

In a period of about 25 years I have gathered a lot of experience in practically all fields of advertising: corporate advertising, recruitment, direct marketing, internal communication and the development of internet sites. So typical of me is that I am an allrounder.



KIKI HARTMANN, Swedish Designer

I’m someone who loves design and photography and am eternally grateful that I can make a living out my passion. I think I’m very good at connecting the two halves of the brain and am not satisfied until a design solution is both conceptually strong and well executed. Design for its own sake doesn’t interest me. I find inspiration in other people and believe the best work comes out of teamwork. I find it fascinating to live and work in an international environment, where things just seem to be more multifaceted and people more broad minded. I love traveling and being in motion, a good sense of humor, the smell of paper, simplicity and grandness. I hate pettiness, regimes, early mornings and things I can’t understand; like taxes.

BILL FAHBER, British Copywriter

In 1994, Bill Fahber began his first communications endeavour in the newspaper industry, having created and published his own city tabloid at the age of 22. Since then, he has lived in New York and Paris, working for some of the biggest brands on both sides of the Atlantic, including L'Oréal, Foot Locker and Apple Computer. Today, now based in France, Fahber offers copywriting and creative consulting to a wide scope of international clients and advertising agencies. His work has resulted in a number of major achievements, including six out of seven agency pitches won since January 2003.

CLAIRE PLASSCHAERT – Belgian Print Buyer/Print Producer

Si j’envisage aujourd’hui de réorienter ma carrière, je souhaite néanmoins garder une activité ne fût-ce que partielle dans ce métier : ma passion de l’ennoblissement du papier (ou tout autre support) demeure en effet intacte!

Website hits

Hits: 7401

Google ranking: 390

Collective monthly drinks

The last collective drinks didn’t happen because I forgot it was Queen’s Night. The next one will be on Friday 26th May at the Record Company office – Van Oldenbarneveldtstraat 70-I Amsterdam, at which we have desk space to rent so if you’re interested to take a look, please email jasmine.wynants@therecordcompany.net

You can read other news items and keep up-to-date with the goings on via our blog http://thecollective-europe.blogspot.com/

All the best,

Jack and the Team