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Author Archives Tom Chandler

I’ve written copy for 22+ years. And learned a good copywriter delivers more than vowels, consonants and punctuation.

I’m Tom Chandler. And welcome to the Underground – an exploration of copywriting beyond the words.

Weekly Tweetfest

Old Tech Tip: Writing many short Web copy blurbs, so wrote copy specs on Post-It, stuck it on corner of screen to prevent dreaded copy drift #
Best client brief ever (Mick Jaggger asks Andy Warhol to "say" how much he wanted to do album cover: http://tinyurl.com/yfabgy2 #
The ad agency farewell email I wish I'd written [...]

Posted 22 October 2009 § Tweets ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: ,

The Undead Copywriter Staggers Forth With a New Post

About 4 pm, I become the undead – the Zombie Formerly Named TC who staggers around the house and eating the brains of the living. It’s the result of a potent cocktail of “new baby” sleep deprivation and eleven time zones worth of jet lag, and it’s every bit as unpretty as it sounds.
Unfortunately, the [...]

Posted 18 October 2009 § Underground Entertainment ‡ Comments (5) ° Tagged: , , , ,

Weekly Tweetfest

Back from Ethiopia, recovering from sleep dep and jet lag, learning to be a dad, and writing a Web site. This, at least, feels normal. #

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Posted 15 October 2009 § Tweets ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: ,

Weekly Tweetfest

Taking a 15.35 hour plane flight; writing or Ambien? (the cowards way out looms…) #
RT @DrWicked: Write or Die Desktop Edition is coming along swimmingly! #
Occams's RazR sorta calls out Seth Godin (we sorta agree) http://bit.ly/60nF8 #

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Posted 01 October 2009 § Tweets ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: ,

The Blogging Universe (If It Were a Cafeteria)

I’m not sure if this seems funny because it’s really hilarious or because I’m jet lagged beyond belief and posting it from a Dubai hotel room at 3:45 am.
Either way, kudos to Scott Baradell (though we’re thinking “gossip” is wholly underrepresented).

Posted 29 September 2009 § Underground Entertainment ‡ Comments (5) ° Tagged: , , ,

Weekly Tweetfest

Procrastination flow chart (includes IM and Random Browse loops, plus food) http://www.projectsidewalk.com/images/flowchart2.jpg #
Has anyone noticed that clicking the mouse HARDER a second time rarely makes that failed link open any better? #
RT @CopywriterMaven: Google Wave: You need to pay attention to this. – Jason Kolb re: the Future of the Internet http://bit.ly/M3WCb #
Change & [...]

Posted 24 September 2009 § Tweets ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: ,

Comfort Is Your Enemy (or, Why Throwing Bricks Through Windows Is a Good Thing)

An influential professor always told me that comfort is your enemy, which is why – every once in a while – we all need to pick up a brick and toss it through one of the plate glass windows which so neatly contain our lives.
In other words, if you want to grow, you sometimes need [...]

Posted 21 September 2009 § Personal ‡ Comments (12) ° Tagged: , ,

Weekly Tweetfest

DebNg (freelance writing jobs blog) posts a list of 43 helpful blogs for writers – including a few I hadn't read: http://ow.ly/pHqw #
Meet the new Microsoft – same as the old MS (sells patents so others will attack Linux for them. Reading this EU?) http://tinyurl.com/me5h2b #
The Big Picture photoblog publishes tribute to 9/11 (including Smithsonian's [...]

Posted 17 September 2009 § Tweets ‡ Comments (2) ° Tagged: ,

Google to Struggling Newspapers: Have You Guys Ever Tried Porn?

Google isn’t universally loved by newspaper execs and other content creators, who notice Google’s making boatloads of money from content created by others – much of which is originally found in newspapers.
Now – with newspapers struggling – Google’s noticing that the source of much of their salable content may disappear. And even Google knows that’s [...]

Posted 14 September 2009 § Marketing Commentary § Underground Entertainment ‡ Comments (5) ° Tagged: , , , , ,

Friday Follies: Know Your Fonts From Your Cheeses?

My love of all things typographic isn’t exactly a secret, but even I found myself taking a beating at the hands of of the “Cheese or Font” test. (Hat tip to Chile Underground for this one.)

I’m the kind of guy who would tell you I know my Gouda from my Goudy, but apparently not nearly [...]

Posted 11 September 2009 § Underground Entertainment ‡ Comments (3) ° Tagged: , , ,