A BIG NEWS-LETTER

This month, our newsletter can stand tall. It’s got real news in it. Big news.
 
But first, here’s your monthly healthy dose of inspiring and insightful #content. We’ve got classic pitching, simple writing, and the art of the error message.
 
Welcome.

PITCH PERFECT
Greatness doesn't need to shout

We’ll start with this video of legendary copywriter David Abbott, pitching for what would become BT's classic It’s good to talk campaign.
 
We like how understated his delivery is. No pyrotechnics, gloss or hype: just well thought-through ideas that are allowed to shine. 

 A GRETA SPEECH
Words that lead to actions

Anyone interested in communication and the art of spreading a message should be listening to Greta Thunberg right now. This transcript of her recent speech to MPs is a masterclass in keeping a disinterested audience engaged.
 
She’d have a bright future ahead of her, if it wasn’t for the very bleak future she keeps warning us about.
 

WHERE THE WORD BILLBOARD COMES FROM
A better story than you might expect

A board that you stick bills on? No. The origin story of the word billboard is a moving tale of a young man's ingenuity in the face of tough business conditions.*

*This was our favourite of all the stories posted on April 1st. You know, the first day of April. The day after the last day of March.

KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID
A simple way to write simple stuff

Writing simply can be difficult. But this web tool might help you. EasyWrite helps you write using only the 1,000 most commonly used words, and tells you when you use a word that's outside of that list.

(We put the copy from this newsletter into it. It failed horribly.)

THE ART OF THE ERROR MESSAGE
Getting it right when things go wrong

We like the way Spotify write their copy. It’s clear, fast to read, and often pretty funny. So we enjoyed reading this article from two of their micro-copy writers about how they write error messages.
 

HOW TO SABOTAGE YOUR WORKPLACE
According to the CIA

Are you an undercover infiltrator, trying to dismantle your company from the inside without getting caught? You’ll need these tips from the CIA, first published in 1944.
 
The weirdest thing about this is that a lot of these behaviours are very recognisable. Which makes me think: are the CIA still at large in our workplaces, secretly strangling our productivity with endless meetings and bureaucracy? Or are we sabotaging ourselves now?

WE'RE NOT OPENING A NEW OFFICE
Come and say hello

Okay, here’s the big news: we’re opening a new Writing Room in Clerkenwell. It’s not an office. It’s a room where we’ll be doing our best ever writing. It's going to be great.
 
Come in. Say hello. Have a cup of tea. Don’t call it an office.