The Vague Role of ‘Copywriter’
I’m not a space-filler or a human dictionary
The role of Copywriter has become increasingly murky in recent years. Even within my own agency, there are some hilarious, throwaway interpretations of my role. To some, I’m a creative. To others, I’m a “space filler.” Or a “content storydoer.” Some even see me as a personified dictionary, paid to relieve them of the need to Google how to spell a word.
Most of the time, when I tell normal (non-ad) people what my job is, I am met with one of two responses:
A) A blank stare, or
B) A sudden glazing of the eyeballs, accompanied by the comment, “So you like, trademark stuff?” (I do not do that.)
I’m a creative copywriter. Or a conceptual copywriter. Or an advertising copywriter. All are confusing (and potentially outdated) ways of referring to someone who writes down words better than other people.
I had no idea what a copywriter was when I became one. I don’t mean that facetiously — I literally had no idea what copywriters did, or that they even existed.
“So, you’re just a writer then — ”
