Comments on: "You are the product." ~ Don Draper

"You are the product." ~ Don Draper

Fizz — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 08:28:34 -0800

Depressed Copywriter [SLTumblr] "Every time I see an example of corporate happiness I can only see the reality of life. I can't help myself anymore. I can't stop rearranging their copy."

By: mrgrimm

mrgrimm — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 08:35:17 -0800

Yes, another project I don't have to do myself! (I would go a bit more subtle, though.) The depressed ones are probably the best; the cynical snipey ones with no direction less so.

By: Fizz

Fizz — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 08:40:48 -0800

I do this in my head already, especially with television commercials.

By: 2bucksplus

2bucksplus — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 08:49:07 -0800

"Birthday Divorce" is my favorite Richard Yates short story.

By: odinsdream

odinsdream — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 08:50:50 -0800

It's like little AdBuster slices.. love it!

By: Bwithh

Bwithh — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:00:09 -0800

Wow, this tumblr and the "subversive" re-copywriting is actually pretty creepy. For instance, that entry "taken with instagram" with the phrase "My Mom told me to focus on the present and then she died" (italics = text which was scrawled in by the tumblr guy)... the text that's been subverted isn't ad copy. It's a quote from a April 2012 USA Today newspaper article about a famous female basketball coach's (Pat Summitt) struggle with Alzheimer's and how her son (Tyler) copes with it: "Tyler's advice to others facing a parent's Alzheimer's? Keep moving forward "This disease can be devastating, but you have to take it one day at a time," he says. "My mom always told me to focus on the present. She says, 'Left foot, right foot, breathe.' " And keep making new memories, he says: "Don't be worried if they're going to remember everything. You will remember, and can always have that." The article ends with Obama awarding Pat the Presidential Medal Of Freedom, the highest US national civilian honor., for both her women's basketball career and her work for Alzheimer's nonprofits. Since the tumblr link says the subverted image was instagrammed, I assume the article was literally right in front of the person when they changed the "copy" and they had to know this wasn't an ad. I dunno, this seems like nutso levels of cynicism to me.

By: Bwithh

Bwithh — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:01:12 -0800

Forgot to link to the tumblr post I was talking about above. here it is: http://www.depressedcopywriter.com/post/22258208172/taken-with-instagram

By: mippy

mippy — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:06:22 -0800

He's certainly not a fan of the Clarisonic, that's for sure.

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:10:29 -0800

There isn't a copywriter or art director in the business who doesn't do this. It's what the business does to you.

By: slogger

slogger — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:11:12 -0800

I'm so glad I don't write copy anymore.

By: Fizz

Fizz — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:18:04 -0800

I'm so glad I don't write copy anymore. and then his soul dies.

By: Blue Meanie

Blue Meanie — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:27:55 -0800

I don't always get boozy coked-up texts at 3AM, but when I do they're from friends who work in advertising.

By: IwishIwasFordMaddoxFord

IwishIwasFordMaddoxFord — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:46:21 -0800

The washing machine is clearly a theft from King's story "The Mangler" I mean it's funny anyway

By: subbes

subbes — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:05:48 -0800

Why all the "he"s? I see no proof that this copywriter is a man.

By: subbes

subbes — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:07:08 -0800

Correction: only 50% of the writers of the tumblog are male.

By: benito.strauss

benito.strauss — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:22:35 -0800

Why does this wild rebel who has been pushed too far still remember to tag each picture with "Taken with Instagram"?

By: annsunny

annsunny — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:22:40 -0800

This one is definitely related to the John Travolta gay rumors/scandal.

By: KokuRyu

KokuRyu — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:32:24 -0800

Meh, what a waste of time. If you don't like adverts, turn them off or ignore them, or, better yet, create art.

By: mph

mph — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:37:41 -0800

Why does this wild rebel who has been pushed too far still remember to tag each picture with "Taken with Instagram"? Instagram remembers for you if what it does to the pictures I send to flickr is any indication, anyhow. When flickr's the receiving service, it thoughtfully adds the tags "instagram app," the name of any filter applied, and the machine tag uploaded:by=instagram. Also "iphoneography," "square format," and "square." I'm sure it's tagging stuff it sends to tumblr, too.

By: DU

DU — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:41:01 -0800

Wow, this tumblr and the "subversive" re-copywriting is actually pretty creepy. 1) I went back three pages and couldn't find your example. They all say "taken with instagram". How many pages did it take you to find a supposedly creepy one? 2) Aren't they kind of supposed to be creepy? Or to point out the creepiness of advertising that is relentlessly not only positive but "corporate" positive?

By: DU

DU — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:53:24 -0800

(Where "advertising" includes "stupid cliches in 'news'".)

By: Bwithh

Bwithh — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 11:37:30 -0800

I forgot to link to the example in my original post. see my post immediately below my original post for the direct link.

By: mippy

mippy — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 12:00:00 -0800

You can't advertise prescription-only medicine in the UK (and there'd not be much point really - NHS prescriptions are written for the drug rather than the brand name, so most people will cash in one for 'fluoxetine', say, even if it says Prozac on the box; not great for brand recognition) so seeing ads for anti-depressants feels jarring to me. Especially because I don't want to think I'm being followed around by my sad dressing gown when I'm depressed.

By: Uther Bentrazor

Uther Bentrazor — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 12:09:45 -0800

I can't decide whether to picture these being made by Pete Campbell or Roast Beef.

By: bleep

bleep — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 12:18:12 -0800

Pete Campbell wants to make these but hates himself because he's not self-aware or articulate enough. Instead let's picture Roast Beef as Peggy's new hire at SCDP.

By: sweetkid

sweetkid — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 12:33:34 -0800

It takes a lot of self-destruction to accept lying to people for a living. What are the careers that are not at all touched by advertising in some way?

By: functionequalsform

functionequalsform — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 15:06:51 -0800

I don't always get boozy coked-up texts at 3AM, but when I do they're from friends who work in advertising. Really? Because I'm always either at work or in bed by 10:30.

By: the noob

the noob — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 17:16:18 -0800

and so poorly executed too!

By: fullerine

fullerine — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 23:42:11 -0800

I used to be a copywriter, oh hang on, no I didn't I have a fully functioning moral compass.