A wander through words: April

I'm not the bot you're looking for

Here to harvest our brains and, even worse, nick our jobs, chat bots are the copywriter's true nemesis (move over deadline, or 'that client').

Well, maybe, maybe not. Because in adversity we find opportunity.

As usual in excellent form in Creative Review, the main man Nick Asbury was joined by writer / strategist Russell Davies for a wide-ranging conversation that dips into psychology, the creative challenge of AI and speech radio.

Thoughts on copywriting

Copywriting Don Andrew Boulton's latest in The Drum is a cautionary tale for us all. Be your own biggest critic if you want to create good work.

Another member of copywriting royalty, Queen Vikki (Ross), brought to my attention - via her Twitter feed, you must follow - brilliant work for Biokill by Ogilvy & Mather Lisbon. These long copy ads feature some really compelling writing, squeezed artfully into a sharp creative execution. Check them out here and here.

This month also saw heads explode as one of the best copywriting portfolio sites ever gripped the globe. If you haven't seen it, here it is - prepare to get jealous:

Get Coleman.

The rise and rise of the brand story

As a fan of walking and listening, I've plunged into the world of The Guardian Books podcast recently. Not exactly a new kid on the block, but hey, if you've not given it a listen, I urge you to do so, it should be of great interest to any and all writers - the edition featuring Exit West author Mohsin Hamid tells you how to be a radical optimist.

In that podcast Hamid identifies himself more as a storyteller than a novelist - subtle, but profound differences. Which leads me on to the not-so-subtle world of brand storytelling. It's not a new thing, but it seems every day you see yet another business proud of the efforts of long, gone Uncle Dom - simply insert 'character' here - as the scramble for authenticity continues. And becomes less credible in the process.

But who is getting it right? This Econsultancy blog offers food for thought.

And talking about being 'on brand', nice job Star Wars.

Dates for your diary

If you're a copywriter looking for similar types, then you'd be mad not hit the beach as Copy Cabana builds sandcastles in Bournemouth, 27 September.

Meanwhile meander through our campaign hub here for other crunchy copywriting morsels. Hot dates include: Copywriting Club Edinburgh on 18 May, Manchester 22 June and Bristol 20 July.

Catch you soon.