A future without brand purpose
If we’re serious about brands doing less harm and more good in the world, then we need to drop the flawed idea of brand purpose – and retain the good intentions behind it
How fintech brands are changing the way we talk about money
Banking has been attempting to change its tone of voice for decades. But it’s the start-ups that are truly exploring a new way to write about money, writes Nick Asbury
What makes a great slogan for a city or country?
If you want to change perceptions of a city, country or continent, words are either the best or worst place to start, writes Nick Asbury
Copywriting isn’t what it used to be
In the recently updated edition of The Copy Book (originally published by D&AD in 1995), Nick Asbury writes about his work and how copywriting has changed for better and worse
Believe in copywriting: Nick Asbury analyses the latest work from Nike and John Lewis & Partners
Both Nike and John Lewis are hitting the headlines with controversial new creative work. But at the eye of these two branding storms, there should be one small area of calm agreement. The writing is brilliant.
The Slogan World Cup 2018
As part of our dedicated World Cup 2018 coverage, Nick Asbury reviews the fan-written slogans chosen to appear on each team’s bus
14 ways of looking at 280 characters
I’m not sure what effect it will have, and I doubt Twitter is sure either. But for the time being, here are 14 thoughts, each in fewer than 280 characters. 1. Lots of writers are saying this is terrible for writing. Writing is about editing – insert that quote about ‘Sorry for writing such a […]
How the brand storytelling trend began – and whether it will ever end
OK, enough with the brand storytelling. The campfire went out years ago. The audience got cramp from crossing their legs. You were only going to get away with the Jackanory stuff for so long. Everyone’s at the chatbot party now. Move on. It would be nice to end the article there. But we haven’t moved […]
Is this the end for brand purpose?
Pepsi, Heineken, Dove and McDonald’s have all run into trouble recently by combining social purpose with a sales message. Is this the end for brand purpose?
Nick Asbury and Russell Davies discuss the impact of automation on writing
As brands look to automate customer interactions and even creative processes, writer Nick Asbury and writer/strategist Russell Davies (both humans) discuss some of the implications – in a conversation covering writing, speech, taglines, boat trips and unexpected items in the bagging area.
An emergency guide to writing protest signs
As protestors tap into the power of the slogan, Nick Asbury looks at some of the most effective techniques.
How to write an award-winning* annual report
Nick Asbury shares a technique for generating creative ideas for any brief – and how to programme your brain to think of ideas habitually