Royston Cropper, or Roy, is a character from the long-running UK television soap Coronation Street played by David Neilson. He was first introduced to the soap as a minor, incidental character who was intended to be a psychotic villain. If you know who Roy Cropper is, you’ll be laughing at the thought of this, and, indeed, wondering […]
It’s 1957. Picasso is 76. And he’s knackered. He’ll never admit it. Frankly, he doesn’t even like to be near someone who’s ill, let alone show signs of frailty himself. Still, he could do with an Ovaltine. And maybe a malted milk biscuit – he loves those. And you know what, he damn well deserves a […]
Karl Marx money pot. Receipts. Trio biscuit bar. Bust of Marcus Aurelias. Fluffy mic. Small painting of Apollinaire. Dog biscuits. Ceramic ghost. Rickenbacker bass guitar. Glass of peach squash (yes, peach). Pen. Hello… Don’t worry, I’ve not gone mad. No madder than usual, anyway. It’s just I’m just sat in my office and those are […]
I want to talk to you about liberating ideas… But before I do, I want to bring some more attention to a campaign fellow copywriter Jane Evans is running. Jane is a fantastic copywriter and previous guest of the podcast… (You can listen to her share her story back in the Christmas episode here) But she’s […]
Paul Gauguin was a bit of a dick. At the age of twenty-three he lucked into a cushy job at the Paris Bourse (France’s stock exchange). A friend of the family had organised it for him and it paid a good salary. Paul was quick to get the hang of trading and turned out to […]
That old Greek thinking guy, Socrates Johnson, is reported to have said something like: If I know anything, it’s that I know nothing. No one quite knows exactly what he said as it was all jotted down by that Phil Plato guy. He could have been making it up himself. No one knows. And that’s […]
When you procrastinate, I don’t believe it’s the type of task that’s important. You might choose to watch television or bake a cake. It doesn’t matter. Nor does the ease of the task you choose make much difference. You might choose to procrastinate by doing something you actually find quite difficult, like going for a […]
Did you hate it?” No, the interviewer replies. “Shame. You’re supposed to,” says McQueen. When it comes to getting someone’s attention, you’ve got to go for emotions. If you don’t at least try, you’re guaranteed to fail. If you’re not thinking about how your audience relates to your writing, you shouldn’t call yourself a copywriter. You’ve […]
I get so worried by what other people are doing. It’s the worst kind of anxiety. Right now, I’m reading The War at the End of the World by Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa. It’s great. It’s also massive. 750 pages. And no pictures. I’m halfway through and can’t believe how dense the damn thing is. The […]
In 1963 things were really beginning to take off for Rowlf. After a false start recording several commercials for Purina Dog Food, he was put in the cupboard and almost forgotten. But when his owner was invited to do a skit on The Jimmy Dean Show, Rowlf was brought back in for a second shot at stardom. […]