Brushing Up

I haven't created a spec ad in quite some time, so when I came across this print ad in a magazine-- I thought this was a great opportunity to brush up on my copywriting skills.

Exhibit A

By looking at that ad above, do you know what it's about? The headline is too long and wonky... not to mention the fact that it doesn't match the visual at all.

The bottom copy reads:
"Start today by finding out if you have Chronic Migraine. Knowing that what you've been living with has a name, means knowing you can find treatments that are right for you. After all, saying 'yes, I'll be there' ...and really being there... shouldn't be a luxury."

Then, it says "Don't live a Maybe life" because, you know, this ad is supposed to make me feel compelled to do something right this second.

Exhibit B

The above ad is my "after" version which includes a clean headline that speaks to the reader and ties in to the visual.

The bottom copy reads:
"If you experience 15 or more headaches a month, you may suffer from Chronic Migraine, a headache disorder that affects 3.2 million Americans, mostly women. Identifying the cause of your pain is the first step towards finding helpful treatments that are right for you."

I chose to include more information about how many people are affected by Chronic Migraine because it jumped out at me on their website. 3.2 million Americans is a lot of people, after all! Mainly women? Great, more info I would want as a reader. If I did suffer from migraines, these facts would make me want to visit the website to learn more.

I also took the bit about the "maybe life" out because maybe it didn't belong. (No, seriously, it didn't). It was cheesy and unnecessary.

So, what do my dear readers think? Thoughts? Observations? Criticisms about my basic Photoshop skills? :-) Don't hold back!

Where Did The Year Go?

greetings readers!

so, i haven't written in a couple of months because i've been super busy working and writing like crazy and o-m-g... where did the year go? my birthday's around the corner and soon it will be 2011!

i must admit that 2010 has been a pretty awesome year for me. i had steady freelance work to keep me afloat (so grateful for that) and i finally moved into a 2 bedroom apartment for a (drumroll please) HOME OFFICE!!!! *sigh* my dream! i'm still organizing the room, so expect some great photos sometime soon. let's just say that my walls are two-toned and i'm surrounded by inspiration. it's actually part office/part craft room and i can't tell you how much more productive i am with an entire separate room to myself!

i'm also super excited to announce some of my upcoming projects but unfortunately, everything is still confidential at the moment so i can't say much. :-( i will tell you that one of my games (remember the cupcake post?) is finally coming out in january and i can't wait for players to sink their fangs teeth into it!

i've also been working pretty hard on my children's book manuscript which i hope to finish by the end of the year.

so... stay tuned. more announcements to come soon!

Welcome!

welcome, lovely readers!

right now, i'm procrastinating. and it's all related to a video game story for work. i can't say much, so i'll just give you a visual and you can try to figure out the rest.


cute cupakes, eh?

more coming soon!