Copywriting Campaigns
An Exploration of Copywriting with the Goal of a Complete Campaign - In Session
Copy That
So you want to be a copywriter? You've come to the right place.
Writing copy is a skill to be learned and honed. Writing headlines is quickly becoming a lost art, but one very much appreciated by recruiters. Building a campaign is a moving target.
I am here to help you with all of these things.
In this course, you'll be working to create a full campaign, full of great copy.
Along the way we'll look at good copy examples and bad ones. We'll dissect old pieces of work and entire campaigns. I'll talk about my own experiences in the industry, as well as what agencies are looking for in a good student portfolio.
If you choose to accept this mission, my course, you'll be writing quite a lot of headlines. I will then rip these headlines apart. And each week, the ripping will become less and less, until finally you emerge with multiple, campaign-worthy lines that we'll turn into an actual campaign (along with some other executions for good measure).
This class is for writers' writers. And it's a great step toward becoming a creative worthy of a job offer.
Join me; it's the write thing to do.
• Throughout this course, a primary goal will be to come up with at least ONE campaign idea. This doesn’t mean a book-ready chunk of work, but rather a solid idea with executions that show a lot of promise. You’ll work with an art director later on to bring them to life.
Meeting Schedule - Course is in Session
We meet online once a week via video conference.
• The May 2nd, 2018 class is currently in session.
• We start at 6:30pm Pacific Time. I'm in San Francisco at BBDO and I work around my crazy schedule.
• We will meet for 6 WEEKS - on the same night of the week (Wednesdays).
• Set aside 2 hours for our class meeting although our class may run longer.
• I'll send a link using Google MEET.
• I cap this class at 7 students. I think that is the right number to give you a lot of personalized attention and a small group always helps with ideas.
• Each week you'll find lessons to read and assignments on your portal. This is yours forever and you can check back to it anytime.
I'll contact you with our initial start date and time through email.
"Eric goes well beyond being just a teacher—he’s an active partner in your success. He takes the time to really get to know his student, then tailors the course to their goals. For me, taking his course helped me understand what it meant to be a true writer’s writer. He helped me fill the holes in my portfolio and pushed me to achieve work that would gain recognition I never thought possible. The lines I wrote in Eric’s class are still some of the best in my book. Whether you're a seasoned writer or someone new to advertising, I highly recommend taking a Eric’s class.”
- Eric Maury, Senior Copywriter, Hill Holiday
Your Instructor
Without sounding too self absorbed, here's me in a nutshell:
- I enjoy short walks on the beach and even shorter headlines
- Still watch cartoons as an adult
- Coffee til cocktails
- Hemingway all day
- I don't mind starting a sentence with 'And' but find the Oxford comma unnecessary
- Did you know cable TV is considered a tax write off if you're a creative?
I was once where you were, but Portfolio MasterClass didn't exist yet, so I went to the Chicago Portfolio School to get my book (and life) together. From there I began my creative career as a copywriter at Ogilvy Chicago. I loved that place. After 4 years I headed to San Diego where I worked at a small shop called Vitro. Did that for 2 years before heading up to San Francisco where I worked at BBDO. I spent a couple years at VMYL&R in Seattle and I’m now a CD at FCB in Chicago. Throw in teaching in my off-hours for the last 7 years and you've got my resume.
Oh, and i've had more than one student win an Addy award with work from my class, so I must be doing something right. Write? Right.
Award-Winning Work from this Course
I've taught Copywriting Campaigns for a few years and a good deal of student work has won accolades. Here's a campaign for Reyka Vodka by Eric Maury and Ben Foos that won ADDYs and ANDYs.
For This Course You Will Need:
- A computer and an internet connection.
- Something to write with and something to write upon. I recommend a notepad or sketchbook.
- A word processing program like Google Docs or Word.
- Access to Google MEET. It is easy to set up and I'll share a link. We'll meet once a week via video conference at 6:30pm Pacific Time.
Recommended Reading
There is no assigned reading for this course, BUT I have built our lessons by taking a little inspiration from:
- The Advertising Concept Book by Pete Barry
And if you're feeling ambitious, here are the books that helped me and are still helping me as a writer. I highly recommend you read at least one of these.
- Hey Whipple, Squeeze This by Luke Sullivan
- The Idea Writers by Teressa Iezzi
- Pick Me by Janet Kestin
And if you're looking for a book about the shenanigans that went down when advertising was in its infancy, check out:
- From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor by Jerry Della Femina
- Get Smashed! by Sam Delaney
FAQs
When do the courses start and finish?
If you choose a course that is self-paced, you decide when you start and when you finish.
If you want to upgrade to an instructor-led course or schedule a personalized portfolio or project review, we’ll reach out with dates and times.
How long do I have access to a course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to a course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with a course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.