if you give a copywriter a cookie

GUEST BLOGGER - Marie Perry took me up on my offer to provide a platform for guest writers any time. I thank her for her contribution and giving me a much needed break right on the eve of Rosh Hashanah.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last weekend, while complaining about the state of our business (again), I had a thought:

What if advertisers decided to help put people back to work?  It’s kind of one of those “If you give a mouse a cookie” questions, I guess.  But I mean REALLY make an effort to put people back to work and then… make it work for them.  It would looked like this:

What if advertisers decided to help put people back to work?

What if they asked their advertising agency to bring back a laid-off copywriter or agency producer to work on their new campaign? 

What if they asked the agency to bid production companies who were struggling?

What if everyone agreed to shoot in LA or NY or one of the smaller US production centers?

What if the agency asked production companies to put forward a director who hadn’t worked in the last 4 months?

What if the director gave a shot to a producer, a designer, a DP, a stylist who is having a really tough year?

What if they crewed up and gave just a few new people a job?  And hired craft service and catering companies who really needed a hand up?

What if, at the end of the production, we totaled up all the people from inception through completion who picked up a few days of much needed work and the spot ended with a card that read “78 people and 6 companies were put back to work to help make this commercial.”

What if that laid-off copywriter came up with a WAY better tag line than that because they’re the writer and I’m not?

I think people would notice.  I think consumers would notice.  I know I would.  Especially if the advertiser were one of the many companies who have received help from us, the taxpayers, the consumers.  In an ever-changing business, advertisers are desperately looking for ways to capture the public’s attention.  What if a little smart marketing could actually help put people to work?

Marie Perry is an Agent at The Skouras Agency representing top Cinematographers and Production Designers. Marie is a recovering production person. It's been 7 years since her last conference call and bid submission. She hopes to maintain her sobriety.