The Craft of Copywriting (Response Books) [Paperback]

June A Valladares (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0761994246 | ISBN-13: 978-0761994244 | Publication Date: May 2003

This book is designed to serve as a step-by-step guide to writing effective advertising copy, with each chapter serving as a building block for the next. Covered in the book are the various aspects that need to be considered in order to write powerful advertising copy, form defining a proposition and marrying the copy to the visual, to writing for television and the multimedia. A unique feature of the book is the inclusion of "guest" pieces written by some of India's internationally acclaimed advertising "greats". The book includes a number of advertisements, illustrations, cartoons, exercises and learning assignments and concludes by a description of the top 100 campaigns of the twentieth century.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Sage Publications Pvt. Ltd (May 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761994246
• ISBN-13: 978-0761994244
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,181,900 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Show!, August 6, 2000

By 

Hiro Shroff (Bombay, India) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Craft of Copywriting (Hardcover)

The Craft of Copywriting by June A. Valladares. Good production. Good read. Step by step, with easy to follow text and appropriate illustrations, June leads the reader into the art and craft of copywriting.

To my mind, this book should find a place in libraries around the world: particularly in schools and colleges of advertising and journalism and communications.

Where feasible, seminars and chat shows could be conducted revolving around the book.

Reviewed by HIRO SHROFF, Oral Historian, Journalist, and Author of "Down Memory Lane" email address [e-mail]

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wish I had written it myself, July 29, 2000

By 

Hiro Shroff (Bombay, India) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Craft of Copywriting (Hardcover)

When I turned the last page of THE CRAFT OF COPYWRITING I had a single regret: if only the book had been there when I joined Bensons as a copywriter...

Indeed, the entire book is as fine an expression of creativity as one is likely to encounter between covers, from thesis to interpretation and design.

I read it with a sense of deja vu and mixed feelings, admiration, delight and regret, the last twice over because I would have liked to have written the book myself. But if I am to be honest, I doubt I would have done half as good a job.

It should take pride of place on the desks of copywriters of all vintages, from the aspiring fledgeling to the "for-the-greater-glory-of-God" Creator Director. Congratulations, CONGRATULATIONS! FRANK SIMOES, (former CEO) Frank Simoes Advertising

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a crafty book for a demanding craft, September 1, 2004

By 

faulu kamau (nairobi,kenya) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Craft of Copywriting (Response Books) (Paperback)

To those outside the globe's advertising & communications industry, copywriting is a mysterious occupation to define. It's not on the menu of schools' career talks and It's highly unlikely to make a debut in the top 3 on a woman's career chart for her `dream' man. It doesn't run in the family, have you ever heard of "he comes from a long line of copywriters?" It's prone to scorching criticism as evidenced by a Kenyan newspaper columnist who recently branded "Third World" copywriters as ..."often criminal, painting in rosy light what is either nugatory or highly toxic," conveniently forgetting that advertising revenue significantly enables media organizations to pay their bills.

   Copywriters are hired by advertising agencies so as to conceptualise the best ideas for promoting advertisers' goods or services through press, posters, radio, TV or other means of communication that appeals to his target audience.

   Some raw materials required for this demanding job include: a close observation of one's surroundings, events and situations; an `enabling environment' (creative art director, supportive management, open minded client etc) and superior writing skills. The latter requirement means that constant reading is mandatory, which might lead to the sudden death of your social life.

   It's been rare until now, for copywriters to access reference books that specifically touch on the nuts and bolts of their craft written by one of their own. All wordsmiths, then, hail the overdue arrival of "The Craft of Copywriting," authored by Indian copywriter June A. Valladares.

   The 285-page book packs 28 chapters of warm-ups, workouts, advice and quotes from advertising greats like David Ogilvy, William Bernbach and Leo Burnett whose memorable quote, "I have learned that it is far easier to write a speech about good advertising than it is to write a good ad," should provide relief to all pressurised creatives. The author has also added more flavour to her book by including arresting press ads of the past from famous brands like Parker, Marlboro and Wrigleys. Copywriters will find chapters 20, 22 & 23 particularly helpful since they guide them on how to  conceptualise and write for Direct Mail, Radio and In-shop media, the new frontiers advertisers are increasingly turning to in the ongoing no-holds-barred war for consumer attention, wallet and retention.

   However, some exercises can be geographically challenging. For example, in the "Brand Image" chapter, she asks readers to describe Mumbai's Taj Mahal Hotel. In addition, there's a disturbing absence of celebrated African writers like Ngugi wa Thiong'o and Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka in her list of writers whose works a copywriter should have read by the age of 25; an omission contained in the "Creative Spark" chapter. Despite those shortcomings, it's an invigorating and challenging reference book every copywriter serious about honing his craft should have next to his DVD collection.