Allan Mathews
SENIOR . Specialist writer
A year or so ago I wrote a few commercials for a brand new Mr and Mrs gardening business, on the West Coast. They worked at it, alone, for 16 hours a day, seven days a week.
Six months later, when I next met them, they were working 5 hours a day, 5 days a week. It was their 14 new staff who were putting in long days.
The radio campaign I wrote, produced, and voiced was the only advertising they did. So my words, my ideas, helped put 14 people into paid work. That, in my book, is a win.
In my time I’ve written TV, radio, press, and all sorts for major companies, international conglomerates, government departments. I’ve written for lolly shops, lawnmower repairers, fashion and footwear shops, underwear shops, used and new car dealers (award alert!), philatelists, philanderers, city councils (award alert!), photographers, funeral directors (I’ve even been offered a free funeral), panel beaters, Air Forces, museums (award alert!), art galleries, hotel chains, tourism operators, bottle shops, cosmetics manufacturers (another award alert!), jewelers, massage parlours, engineering workshops, roading companies, builders, demolishers, painters, paperhangers, hang-gliders, golf shops, gold shops, babywear and toy shops, sex shops, bible shops, sports shops, and bed shops. And a few others.
I believe that the job I’m on right now has to be the best work I’ve ever done.
Radio
Collateral
Direct mail
Drama writing
Television
I belong to the old school of writers. One of those chaps who believe that you shouldn’t treat the consumer like a moron. Someone who understands that correct punctuation aids understanding, and that txt spelling should remain on the cell-phone.
(Unless, of course, it’s my cell-phone - in which case every word is faithfully spelled out, with apostrophes and commas all in the right place.)
Once you and I have thoroughly identified our audience, and I have a thorough understanding of your product or service, my copy will be warm, engaging, interesting, motivating, and – if required – as funny as hell. It’ll be what the job demands.
I interrogate everything I read. And if I’m reading something I’ve written, then I’ll be twice as brutal. As I’ve told a bunch of wannabe writers, “Writing’s like bricklaying. It’s a craft. If a bricklayer mislays a brick, then the wall he’s building will be weak. If a writer misplaces a word or punctuation mark, then the sentence will be weak.”
I know the tools of my trade, and I use them well.
Jag Creative - Electronic Newsletter
I write Jag's monthly newsletter. It covers everything from recession surviving tips to the latest hot stuff happening.
The True Message of Easter - Radio Ad
An odd one for an atheist to tackle, but… The client (an inter-denominational collective) wanted to challenge lapsed Christians into attending a church service at easter-time. Result? Church attendances rose by 20%.
Go Cabs - Radio Ad
Small town with a huge tourism trade, and the established cab company suddenly gets some competition. The solution: sell the phone number. Huge success.