Stuart Harrisfreelance creative/copywriter

a little guide to what I do

B2BCorus, Capita, Mitsubishi Trucks, Motaquip, Manheim Auctions, Cable & Wireless, Keepmoat, Fellowes, Wavin

CharityRoyal Horticultural Society,British Heart Foundation, Childline,Campaign for Spinal Research

Public sectorSouth Yorkshire Police,South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, HMCS,Sheffield City Council, Doncaster Council, Birmingham City Council, Lifetime Careers, Sheffield Safer Communities Partnership,South Yorkshire Safety Camera Partnership

A guide to me(for people who don’t know who me is)With over 15 years experience in the advertising industry, at big and small agencies, on big and small clients I’ve done quite a bit. I’m not a charlatan trying to sell my wares after a couple of good years in the business.

I’ve been around enough to be versatile and have the experience to bring something to the table that’s new, relevant and grounded in the real world. What follows is intended to give you an idea of what I do.

A guide for those who don’t know me.

Let’s start with a little background.

I’ve worked on TV, radio, outdoor, new media, press, print, in fact pretty much anything you’d expect a modern full service agency to deliver. Over the years I’ve won over 20 awards, (Fresh, Cream, Roses, New York Festival).

Below is a selection of what I’ve worked on to give you an idea of the scope and variety of experience.

What will soon become evident is the glaring fact that I can’t design for toffee. Concepts, scamps, copy, all that, no probs.Just don’t ask me to design anything. It’s better that way.

ConsumerNescafe, Puma, Burger King, Subaru,Lloyd’s Pharmacy, Bridgestone Tyres,LA fitness, Hartley’s

RetailDFS, Argos, ASDA, Netto, Bryant Homes, Wimpey Homes, Persimmon Homes,Gilder VW/Audi, Sleepmasters

TransportNational Express, Chiltern Railways

TourismWelcome to Yorkshire, Enjoy England,Drayton Manor, National Railway Museum, Leeds Essential Guide, National Media Museum

Strategic planningand anything else that’s needed to get to the heart of the problem/issue/opportunity/brief

I’ve worked at big agency’s with impressive structured planning departments. I’ve worked at small places where it’s all hands on deck, but just as important to get it right. I’ve worked direct with clients too. Whichever you fit into, I can work with you to develop a strategic plan on which to build upon.

I can’t say I’m a big fan of flowcharts, critical paths or cross channel brand synergy relationship matrices, but I can put together a plan that makes sense, is well thought out and strategically bullet proof.

ideas, ideas, ideas, ideasbig ones, little ones, good ones.Generating ideas is something I’ve never had a problem with. Most are on brief too, which is a bonus.I like to sit with a pile of cheap white A4 paper and start thinking. Here’s how it usually works out.

First 10 sheets - obvious/random/literal interpretations of the brief (some usable ideas)Sheets 11 to 20 - now we’re getting somewhere/well thought out ideas (happy to present any of these)Sheets 21 to 30 - BINGO.

Once the big idea is nailed, the craft begins. Refining, making it better, making it work across all media.Oh, and writing the copy too.

Copywritingor otherwise known as the dark art

As the kid in art college with the fewest Magic Markers, copywriting was a natural career progression.

The truth is, I love the challenge of finding and establishing the tone of voice for a brand or organisation.I love communicating clearly, with personality and passion. I enjoy making even the dullest of subject matter interesting, engaging, thought-provoking or funny.

Headlines, body copy for ads, long copy for DM, brochures, scripts, any excuse to fire up Word and start tapping away like Angela Lansbury.

I write ads, TV and radio scripts, websites, DM, brochures, you name it.

Copywriting isn’t a dark art and is rarely black and white, but the right copy can make all the difference.

Internal communicationsWhen you know what you do and why you do it,but you just can’t work out how to tell people about it. Recently I’ve been helping a few businesses define themselves by creating or re-writing their internal and external material in a way that’s more human and ultimately more them.

Often it takes an outsider to help everyone on the inside understand what they are all about.But once everyone is galvanised around a single tone of voice, personality and way of communicating, so much more falls in to place. (Or so I’m told by the businesses I’ve helped create creds documents and internal comms).

From big issues like, ‘what do we stand for’ to equally big ones such as making case studies more interesting or writing a nice letter to the shareholders explaining why there’s no payout this year. Internal comms are every bit as diverse and demanding as consumer communication. So it makes sense to get someone with loads of consumer comms experience to look at it.

Now you know a little more about me.You can catch up with what I’ve been up to recently at www.thisisharris.vox.com

Thanks for your time.

ideas and copy Ltd

Stuart Harris11 Maple Avenue

AuckleyDoncaster. DN9 3NA

t: 07963 338 745e: thisisharris@live.comw: thisisharris.vox.com

RATES:

Agency/client creative: £300.00 per dayInternal Comms: £280.00 per day