Summer intern Rachel Gregory provides this entry about her impressions of learning the craft of copywriting at Schifino Lee.
The long white marble slab of a desk stretches out before me as I sit at my computer. I’m on reception desk duty as I attempt to write one of my first assignments. It’s my second day as a copywriting intern, and I now know more about varicose veins than I ever thought I would need to.
In school, you get these fantasies about what advertising is like all the time. You think every client is going to be “Target” and have a huge budget to make the most creative work ever. Of course that’s not always true. In the real world, clients have brand guidelines, specific objective, and budget restrictions.
Every project in school is for your favorite product or a big-time client. There are no budget limits, and no creative restrictions. In the advertising fantasy land of school, the real world isn’t taught, and common clients aren’t assigned. Insurance companies? Never. Industrial machinery? What’s that? Anti-itch cream? Forget it. Assignments that will teach us to be creative in confined circumstances and small spaces are non-existent.
So, on my first day when I was presented with the task of editing web copy all about medical treatments, and write headlines for them, my first thought was, what did I do to deserve this? I then reminded myself of how much I still have to learn about writing. While to some that may seem like a disappointment, I am excited to be pushed in areas that I have not yet been.
At Schifino Lee I am looking forward to stretching my creative abilities in ways school has not. I want to learn how to write better and more creatively when dealing with any client. I expect to get a lot of critique that will help me improve the vocation I already enjoy. I think the mix of clients at Schifino Lee is going to give me a well-rounded experience that will enhance my education.
So whether I’m writing headlines for veins or sunglasses, I’m ready to arrange words into phrases that are meaningful and relevant for every client I’m assigned.
