Speaking in Tongues
First off, a little background, as this is my first post on AdLib. I’m a senior advertising major on the copywriting track. I’m currently interning at Quaker City Mercantile, and having a blast. I’m finishing my classes at Temple this semester, then heading out to the LA study away program to finish my collegiate career.
Enough about me. Like I said, my copywriting internship has been going well. I work two days a week, and my days are never the same. There are no structured requirements for interns at QCM, so basically I’m left to my own devices to engage the copywriters and ask for work from them. Which is great, because I can pick and choose the accounts that I like, and more importantly, that I’m good with. Two brands in which I shine are both unusual, copy-wise. One is Lilly Pulitzer, the world famous clothing brand from Palm Beach, Florida. The other is a Scottish gin made with cucumber and rose petals, called Hendrick’s.
Writing copy for these accounts is challenging, yet rewarding. The “voice” for Lilly Pulitzer is somewhere between “valley gurl,” sorority sister, and fashionista. My first day I found myself elbow deep in their brand essence, summer and fall catalogs, and more. I picked up the language, and ran with it. I’ve already had headlines I’ve written appear in their weekly email blasts! I never thought my first published work would be a women’s dress company obsessed with pink and patterns, but it was a surreal experience to get the email blast with my copy on it.
Hendrick’s is completely different, and much more difficult. The essence for them, being a Scottish gin distiller dating back to the 1800s, is sort of an Olde-English-meets-Willy-Wonka style. I’ve done a lot of work for their blog (which is also published as a quarterly newspaper), the Unusual Times. It’s basically a hokey publication, full of articles about “curious mustaches” and classifieds about “fantastical flying machines,” as well as modern innovations and artists who emanate Hendrick’s style. Needless to say, keeping a thesaurus on my desk was a must. But, facing a two-hour deadline, I pumped out some copy that had one of the senior copywriters astounded (and laughing out loud at his desk).
Like I said, it feels surreal to see my work being published. Class projects are great, but they never get approved and sent all over the world (Hendrick’s is in 108 countries, a leader in the global gin market). This internship has given me experience that I can use in real agency settings, and I plan to use that as a leg up when I land in LAX.
Peace and Love
Sean
