I'm Samantha, and I'm a creative copywriter
Describe your job
As a creative copywriter, I come up with ideas and then craft the words we use to communicate that idea to the consumer.
Day-to-day work usually starts by getting briefed by an account handler on something like a campaign idea for a new product launch. Then an art director and I will get our trusty pads and pens out, get all our thoughts down on paper and then pick out the best ideas (and bin the bad ones!). Then I’ll work on the words and the art director will work on the visuals until we have some shiny ideas ready to present back to the account handler.
What are the most important skills you need to do your job?
First and foremost, creatives are problem solvers.
They need to be able to think laterally and make connections that nobody else can see. You also need to be able to articulate your thoughts clearly, whether that’s through words or visuals. Oh, and you’ll need a thick skin! Don’t be too precious about your ideas as lots of them will go in the bin. But believe me, there’s always another (better) one!
I left school and...
Studied graphic design at college and University. I worked as a graphic designer/artworker at a couple of in-house studios for the first couple of years before moving agency-side in 2013.
After winning a creative competition based in Manchester called School of Thought in 2016, I decided to make a career change and move to the conceptual side of advertising as a Creative Copywriter.
I’m most proud of...
I am most proud of the winning print ad for the Cannes Young Lions UK competition 2020, which tackled the topic of diversity within the creative industry:
The creative industry relies on people who see things differently, yet it’s oversaturated with people who have all had similar life experiences and similar perspectives—meaning the creative work suffers. We can’t hope to create advertising that represents and speaks to people from diverse backgrounds if we’re not diverse ourselves as an industry.
Creatives: Samantha Banner and Emma Bromley
Before I started my career, I wish I knew…
Criticism of your work is nothing personal!
You need to be able to detach yourself emotionally and look at it objectively. It’s a collaborative process and you won’t have all the answers.
A mistake I made which you can avoid repeating is...
Not believing in myself. I’d wanted to work as a creative for years but stayed working as a graphic designer as I thought it would be better to just stick to what I knew. But then I won a creative competition and made the decision to finally have a crack at copywriting. It’s never too late to follow a different path.
So, what’s next?
You never stop learning in this industry, so I’m just going to carry on working hard, being the best I can be and learning everything I can from the people around me.
Here's my:
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