Brimming with wisdom and good-natured copywriting guidance.
A copywriting pro reveals all in this how-to manual.
For those mystified by advertising copywriting or anyone who hopes to enter the profession, this book is sure to fit the bill. The CV of Attea (The Secrets of Successful Creative Advertising, 2008, etc.) is impressive; he has won the ad industry’s most prestigious awards, worked with top agencies, and written for stellar clients. Rather than rest on his laurels, the author chose to share his considerable knowledge in this eight-part opus that covers all the bases. Included are chapters about exploring the creative process, writing for traditional and digital media, brand positioning, solving problems, and making presentations. The author doesn’t stop there: He also addresses ancillary subjects of use to a well-rounded copywriter, such as understanding how to test advertising and using the right media as well as developing brand names, a topic often ignored. In fact, Attea has become something of a naming expert, having conceived what he calls “the most acute approach to name development.” The author has the right to be a bit self-congratulatory, but his tone throughout the book exudes confidence rather than arrogance. Attea acknowledges that “gigantic egos lumber about in advertising,” but he claims “many of the most capable people…are actually pretty modest.” In addition to recounting advertising war stories, this craftsman is willing to pass along a wealth of knowledge to the next generation. He advises wannabes to review winners of annual industry awards shows and includes fine commentary on timeless advertising books. He writes eloquently and wisely about the need for the industry to remain balanced. “The profession actually requires a combination of brash innocence and creative experience,” asserts Attea; a well-functioning agency “maintains a balance between sophisticated veterans and young people.” He also shares some of the harsh realities of the business, discussing, for example, the takeover of larger agencies by global conglomerates and the continuous criticism leveled against ad claims. For the most part, though, Attea’s comprehensive book is a highly instructional guide to the creation of effective advertising.
Brimming with wisdom and good-natured copywriting guidance.Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-9821218-3-2
Page Count: 312
Publisher: Really Helpful Books
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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