Jason Kreher's proof of concept
The latest in our series of interviews with this year's shots Awards The Americas Head Judges sees Maximum Effort's Jason Kreher talk through what he and the jury are looking for in the Concept & Copywriting categories.
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What appealed to you about taking on the role of head judge for the Concept & Copywriting category?
In my mind, a strong concept tends to be the difference between getting the job done and making a noticeable impact. And smart writing is often the way you get that concept to resonate.
Finding work that shows off both of these skills is fun as fuck. Thanks for asking me to do it!
Above: Kreher [left], with some of his fellow Concept and Copywriting judges [clockwise] Hannah Hewitt, Karen Land Short, and Avi Steinbach.
What’s the trick to great copywriting?
I could say something like "honesty," but more pointedly I think people do not like to feel like they're being persuaded or tricked.
Consumers are often happy to hear what you have to say if you're straightforward about what you're trying to tell them. Bonus points if they like or relate to it.
Consumers are often happy to hear what you have to say if you're straightforward about what you're trying to tell them.
I think the best copywriting feels like you're giving your target something valuable, and thus they're going to like you for having done so.
Nobody HAS TO listen to advertisers anymore, so knowing how to write like this is a skill that can really come in handy.
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Above: Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds campaign, the ad that "turned me gay".
Is there a campaign from the past that inspired you to get into advertising?
The Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds campaign was so inspirational that it turned me gay.
The Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds campaign was so inspirational that it turned me gay.
I love it so much that I've actually taken credit for its creation my whole career, even though I had nothing to do with it and was in fact a child when it first aired.
Are awards an important part of the industry?
If you believe creativity can have a disproportionate impact on business goals, awards are quite important.
If you think creativity is an inconvenient and self-indulgent part of the industry that will eventually be abolished, then no, probably not.
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