Copywriting: Not copying. Also not a legal thing.

Copywriting wasn’t the first occupation I considered (veterinarian, shark trainer, photographer, engineer and Crayola color inventor all failed). I tried it out halfway through college, and it stuck like glue. But for whatever unknown reason, my decision came with lots of (usually unwanted) input and opinions. “Is it like, legal writing?” “You know that print is dying.” “Ads suck, I always mute my TV during the commercials.” I get it. 90% of advertising sucks. I’m not personally responsible for the toothpaste ad that interrupted your sitcom, so back off.

So what the hell is copywriting? Simply put, it’s the writing in ads – TV commercials, print, social media, et cetera.  Tiny nuggets of entertainment, made to make you laugh or cry or feel some #feels. They wiggle into your daily vernacular, shaping culture right under your nose. “If you’re a __, it’s what you do.” We all know that’s Geico. “Just Do It” is Nike (or Shia LeBouf). Copywriters wrote those lines. They become just as important to the brand as the products they sell. 

It’s not legal writing, it’s not complicated, and it’s definitely not boring. (And even though I’ll argue ‘til I’m blue for the oxford comma, creativity is more important than grammar.) We invent words, make up phrases, concept great ideas, tweet for brands, keep too many Word docs open, try to avoid puns and write one-liners all day. We also write blogs during work hours. Hey!

For my Type A people:

Copyright: the exclusive legal right, given to an originator or an assignee to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical material, and to authorize others to do the same.

 Copywriting: written content conveyed through online media and print materials. Copy is a content primarily used for the purpose of advertising or marketing. This type of written material is often used to persuade a person or group as well as to raise brand awareness.