Copywriting Blog
‘Keep Calm and Carry On’: A Good Slogan Gone Bad
/in Advertising/by Dan O'Sullivan“Keep Calm and Carry On” reads an iconic motivational poster produced by the British government in 1939. The intention was to steady the nerves of an anxious public being thrust into war with Germany. Now, despite my mistrust of Instagram as a valid form of communication, I wasn’t around for World War II. But I […]
An Open Letter to Oui Yogurt From Moms Like Me
/in Advertising, Branding, Reviews/by Anna GoldsmithDear Oui French Style Yogurt from Yoplait, Is it okay that I addressed you by your formal name? I’m not sure on the proper etiquette when writing to dairy-based products. Anyway, I don’t know what kind of crazy market research you did. But since you’re owned by Yoplait, I suspect it was extensive and expensive. […]
Lessons from a TEDx Organizer: How to Nail Your Audition
/in Hired Pens, So What Do You Do?/by Anna GoldsmithAfter a few weeks recovering, I’m finally ready to write about what has felt like my second job for the past six months: co-organizer of TEDxPortsmouth (along with a fellow Pen, Crystal Paradis). I have so much to say about this experience that it’s going to take a couple articles. In this first article, I’ll […]
Pet Peeve: The Forbes.com Interstitial
/in Kvetching, Web/by Dan O'SullivanKvetching about the petty annoyances of modern life is a tradition at The Hired Pens. With that in mind, let’s shine the spotlight on the website of the global media brand Forbes. Suppose you’re starting a business and need to write a business plan. You Google “how to write a business plan” and review the […]
Someone Profiles The Hired Pens for a Change
/in News/by Dan O'SullivanTrue 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 […]
Millennial Say What? How to Talk Young When You’re Old.
/in Networking/by Anna GoldsmithIn preparation for TEDFest in New York City a couple weeks ago, I did a little research: where to eat, what to see, how not to sound old to the majority-millennial crowd … I’d be embarrassed for anyone to see my search history today, but I’ll put that aside to share this gem of an […]
Meet Our Newest Pen, Betty Egan
/in News/by Anna GoldsmithHey 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 […]
A Belated Postmortem on the Super Bowl LII Commercials
/in Advertising/by Dan O'SullivanDoing an annual roundup of the Super Bowl commercials is practically a job requirement in our line of work. But after my beloved Patriots lost to the Eagles, I didn’t want to relive anything about the game. Besides, the consensus in many quarters was that this year’s spots were disappointing or derivative. Why add to […]
Party City’s New Commercial Makes Local Mom Cry
/in Advertising, Media, Public Relations/by Anna GoldsmithScene: Two 30-something women stand behind a table of party food, in a Party City commercial. And … action! Mom 1: This is incredible! Mom 2: Right. Mom 1: Yes! Mom 2: What is that? (pointing to a lone plate of crackers a few feet away) Mom 1: Those are some gluten-free options. Mom 2: […]
Case Study: Writing Website Copy for Newfire Partners
/in So What Do You Do?, Web/by Dan O'SullivanOutsourced software development gets a bad rap in many circles, and justifiably so. A big part of the problem is those firms that underpay their talent and don’t care enough about the quality of the code they crank out. Stephen S. Hau, a long-time technology executive and entrepreneur, believes there’s a better way to do […]
