Copywriter: A Life of Making Ads and Other Mistakes [Hardcover]

Ray Welch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 25, 2002

Chronicles an advertising man's journey from Young Turk to scarred veteran --- with pit stops and side trips along the way.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An honest documentary of the times . . . great read for anyone with a sense of history and a sense of humor." -- Jack Connors, Founder of Hill Holliday Connors Cosmopulos

"Between the writing and the graphics,reading Copywriter is like curling up with an advertising awards book." -- Greg Farrell, USA Today

"I analyzed every ad Welch ever wrote. Now all today’s generation has to do is buy his damned book." -- Jim Mullen, Mullen Advertising

"Ray Welch is an artist; advertising just happens to be his medium. Touches of Twain, O. Henry and Dave Barry." -- Peter Kadzis, The Boston Phoenix

"You want to see a room full of ad people laugh till they cry? Just read them 'The Killington Pitch'." -- Sally Jackson, Clarke & Company

From the Publisher

When Ray Welch and other advertising veterans used to swap war stories about the industry, people would listen and say, "Somebody ought to write a book about that." So Welch did.

Copywriter, A Life of Making Ads and Other Mistakes is based on Welch’s 40-year career as a Boston agency principal, creative director, and voiceover (Tweeter, Milton’s, Pewter Pot) in an era when advertising had a heart and soul and a few drinks after work. Welch uses his wit and humor to tell stories that happened during his advertising career. While sharing these tales, he has gathered 25 different art directors—whom he worked with along the way—to individually design and illustrate each chapter (having instructed them to use "any nutcake idea in your arsenal") giving the book a style all its own.

In this compilation of hysterical and extraordinary stories, Welch tells us about the advertising world as it once was. He takes us from landing his first job to establishing his own agency to his creative team's helicopter shattering the picture window at a Vermont ski resort. Welch has a genuine gift for storytelling, while bringing a sense of humor to some of the more painstaking events in a copywriter's career.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 297 pages
• Publisher: Hot House Press (November 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970047649
• ISBN-13: 978-0970047649
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,348,393 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love advertising as art? Okay, how about as humor?, November 15, 2002

By 

Jay Rose (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Copywriter: A Life of Making Ads and Other Mistakes (Hardcover)

For close to 20 years, ending in the late 1980s, Ray Welch dominated New England advertising awards. He was the Woody Allen of the industry, writing self-deprecating (but hilarious and strategically spot-on) ads, and later becoming one of the area's most effective voice-over announcers. He was also one of the most well-liked personalities in the community -- I should know, I was there -- and a great story-teller.

These are his stories. They're all funny. Many of them also reveal truths of ad agency life, the kinds of people attracted to that business, and the thinking that goes into a great campaign.

Welch had art-director friends each design a separate chapter, and told them to go wild. The designs are readable -- these are top-level art directors we're talking about -- and range from whimsical to surprising. Not a bad thing in a book of stories.

The book reads the way I remember that era. Except Welch obviously had a lot more fun.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a time -- well remembered., December 1, 2002

By 

Dal (Santa Fe, NM United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Copywriter: A Life of Making Ads and Other Mistakes (Hardcover)

I was there too. Bit player at another agency, but saw, heard, smelled (OK, tasted too -- I had a Saab with a Scotch compartment) the same wonderful ambiance that was advertising in the Renaissance '80s. Ray has it down. He records a time loved -- and lost -- to mega business. Oh, well.