Why Bodyform's advertising strategy isn't working.I obviously wasn’t the only person to notice this poster opposite Kingston train station in the suburbs of London. It’s a bizarre execution for Bodyform, which parodies a Conservative Party election poster from...
The hired gun can't fire blanksOnce in a while, I’m going to use these pages for a little reflection on the whole process of creativity. Perhaps it’s a little self-indulgent, but the more that I teach copywriting and creative writing, the more I find myself pondering...
Breaking the language barrier: Alex Woodruff and Vanessa Cisz in englishtalk's Stuttgart offices.Interesting discussions in the land of wild boarWhat separates true entrepreneurs from the wannabes? I suspect it’s an uncanny ability to spot an opportunity or niche in...
Where's the proposition? How cars, fries and bras have been defying conventionI was preparing a lecture recently on the theme of propaganda and advertising for the University of Westminster in London and it got me thinking about the way in which major corporations...
Phil WoodfordOriginally uploaded by sdwpw. Ideas for this site? E-mail me at 108th@philwoodford.com
Trained by Jerry. Banned by train bosses.Advertising creatives usually love to shock. And there’s no better way to prove you’ve shocked people than to have one of your ads banned. That’s why I was a little surprised that one of the younger members of our agency...
Go MK? I'd rather go to L.Can cities become brands? It’s a question a colleague placed in my mind recently when she told me about the efforts of Milton Keynes to promote itself as a “thriving, cosmopolitan city”. For those of you who’ve never had the pleasure, Milton...
Channel 4’s Nathan Barley Campaign: it’s well weapon If you’re a regular user of the London Underground, you will probably have seen the recent poster campaign for an unlikely mobile device called the Wasp T12. I was particularly intrigued by the headline. Apparently,...
Suits you, Sir: the wonderful world of Mr Raja DaswaniHong Kong tailor, Raja Daswani, always makes for an interesting discussion point at my copywriting seminars. I treasure an advertisement I found a year or two ago, in which he announces a visit to the UK and...
Advertising creativity and the things that happen in supermarket aisles "What if...?" It's the question that all good advertising creatives have to be able to answer. When confronted with a selling proposition for a product or service, they ask themselves what would...