Someone Profiles The Hired Pens for a Change

True story: A few weeks ago, I mentioned to Anna that given all the interviews we conduct for work, it would be nice if someone interviewed us. The next day, someone emailed me about being profiled for Boston Voyager Magazine. I’ll be honest; I wasn’t yet familiar with Boston Voyager. But this was an opportunity […]

Meet Our Newest Pen, Betty Egan

Hey everyone, it’s time again to play “Meet a Pen”! Today we’re chatting with Betty Egan, who left her big agency life at Arnold Advertising for a home in the wilds of New Hampshire. Luckily for us, she’s game for the occasional long drive to visit clients in Greater Boston. So let’s get to our […]

Meet Virginia, Our Newest Pen

For every 100 writers who contact us, just dying for a chance to be a Pen, only a handful makes it through our rigorous screening process. Meet one of the qualified few. As you’ll see from our Q&A below, Virginia has the right mix of experience, brains and wit. We’re pretty sure she’s a keeper. […]

‘Duck Dynasty’ Hallmark Cards? Seriously?

There are times in life when one feels hopelessly out of touch with pop culture. Like when I saw this Hallmark display in a CVS. Are people actually giving loved ones greeting cards featuring members of the Duck Dynasty? I’m so confused …

Coming Soon to Your Corner …

There’s a rising trend these days in viral location-based marketing. A lot of people have been talking about this clever campaign for TNT, these secret-agent Coke machines branded toward the latest Bond flick and this hilarious bus stop campaign from the folks at Qualcomm. What are the agencies behind these campaigns doing right? In a […]

Our Own Karen Dempsey Published on NYTimes.com

Congrats to Hired Pen Karen Dempsey, whose essay, “Lockdown: Teaching Students to Hide From Guns, and Hide Their Fears,” went live on the NYTimes.com Motherlode blog yesterday.

Talk Dirty to Me (As Long As You Get the Grammar Right)

What if grammarians had a trashy magazine? This post made us chuckle when we found it on Facebook — and it got a lot funnier when Anna started adding her own suggestions. Which are your favorites? Can you top them? 1. Words he’s DYING to hear from you. 2. Its vs. It’s: Do you ditch […]

Holiday Card-Writing Tips from The Hired Scrooges

Dear Friends and Family (and the three other people who read our blog), Thinking about sending a holiday card? Good for you! Here are a few tips to up your game … and avoid embarrassment with those who are too lazy to write their own cards and just sit around critiquing yours (ahem). 1. Don’t […]

Brilliant Anti-marketing: Guy Fieri and The New York Times

Guy Fieri: Still laughing? Gosh, this NYT review of Guy Fieri’s restaurant in TimesSquare has been read, tweeted, emailed and blogged about to the four corners of the earth, so it’s hard to imagine you’ve missed it. Pete Wells writes a harsh, hilarious critique framed as a long series of questions directed at Guy Fieri […]

And THIS Is How You Write an Effective Apology to Your Customers

During Hurricane Sandy, Boloco made a huge mistake: They sent out an email bragging that they were open during the hurricane. The moment they hit SEND, the hate email (and Tweets, status updates, etc.) rained down. Within an hour, CEO John Pepper had issued the below apology. From: John Pepper (Boloco CEO & Co-Founder) Sent: […]