Madmen v Mavens

There was a time when British copywriting was considered the best in the world. Is that still the case?

Are the exemplars of great copy now only to be found in dusty yellowing annuals? Are the truly great copywriters relegated to history, the ‘Mad Men’ era of British advertising?

Or has ‘copywriting’ changed in the digital age so that what is truly great is scarcely recognisable by past standards? In a world where everyone can write and even publish, do great copywriters value influence over inflections? Is the art of writing great copy alive, but as an offensive against the writers’ blocks of a much less cossetting time: cost-cutting, time-sheeting, lack of training, technological change and the 140 character word limit?

To explore the answers to these questions, we invited copywriters from these two generations to meet in a place they’d call home and have a rich, raw and very real conversation.

Now we invite you to pull up a chair, watch our film.

And then, click through to our Census and tell us what you think.

Introducing the Madmen & the Mavens

Barbara Nokes is the fame-maker behind some of our most enduring brands Debi Bester is a Founder and Managing Partner of Abundance Howard Fletcher is a highly awarded independent copywriter and author John Salmon is described by Sir Frank Lowe as ‘one of the three greatest writers in advertising’ John Watson is one of the founding fathers of direct marketing in Britain Kat Hudson is a Junior Copywriter Matt Longstaff is Associate Creative Director of AKQA Nicky Bullard is Creative Director of Lida Ross Newton is Associate Creative Director of Partners Andrews Aldridge Tom Harman is Associate Creative Director of TMW Tony Brignull is hailed as the most awarded Copywriter in Britain