19

Thomas Kemeny

Writing Your Way Ahead


Mike Tyson said “everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” That's how I feel every time I try to write something. You don't really realize how hard writing is until you actually sit down and actually do it. If it’s any consolation, just remember the copywriting law of physics from this episode’s guest: If a problem exists, so does the solution.

Thomas Kemeny has made a career writing for advertising, one of the most challenging written mediums. You need the copy to sell, but it can't be salesy. It's gotta make people smile, but you can't come off as trying to be funny. The shorter the better, but make sure to pack in all the features and benefits. Got it?

For people who have practiced this all their life like Thomas, writing for advertising is an art, a science, and a business. And for the rest of us to learn, Thomas wrote one of the very few books on how to write advertising copy. The book is called Junior, and today we'll talk about many of the lessons he shares in this book.

In this episode, Thomas will take us through copywriting exercises to generate headlines using the shortcuts and “dirty tricks” the industry has used for decades. He talks about how his creative process involves tricking your brain into never thinking it’s done, so that you can push from the logical and into the nonsensical before arriving at an unexpected solution. Best of all, Thomas reveals what he calls “the secret rule for great work” which no company will ever actually abide by.

Enjoy the show, enjoy his book, and enjoy making Hungarian chicken paprikash.

Listen : Spotify | Apple | YouTube


“Focus on human connection more than logical persuasion”

   


Show Index

  • 01:45 - Q&A with Scott Norton
  • 05:15 - Interview with Thomas Kemeny 
  • 08:30 - Thomas’s Writing Warmups
  • 14:24 - Breakthrough with Oscar Insurance 
  • 18:45 - Thomas Works on Sir Kensington 
  • 26: 25 - Thomas’s Advice for Persuasion 
  • 31:37 - The Cheap Tricks of Ad Writing 
  • 46:58 - At Large and Off The Cuff


Show Notes


Ep. 23 — Sophia Amoruso

Sauce Boss Meets Girlboss


Ep. 22 — Daniel Goldhaber

Movies by Any Means Necessary


Ep. 21 — Dinara Kasko

Have Your Cake and Tweet It Too


Ep. 20 — Nicolas Jammet

Greens to Greatness


Ep. 19 — Thomas Kemeny

Writing Your Way Ahead


Ep. 18 — Clare Vivier

Liberté, Intégrité, Simplicité


Ep. 17 — Alex Bogusky

Peace, Love, and Advertising


Ep. 16 — Alexis Gay

The Unprofessional Professional


Ep. 15 — Seth Godin

Idea Virus Patient Zero


Ep. 14 — Nicholas Coleman

Chasing Liquid Gold


Ep. 13 — Gabe Whaley

Making MSCHF


Ep. 12 — Kareem Rahma

Internet Funnyman


Ep. 11 — Amanda Hesser

Building a Digital Hearth


Ep. 10 — Shane Heath

No Mud, No Lotus


Ep. 9 — Michael Dubin

You Can’t Just Switch It Off


Ep. 8 — Scott Norton

Purpose & Play


Ep. 7 — Chris Nee

Creative Courage and Talking Stuffed Animals


Ep. 6 — Fabien Riggall

Silencing the Discursive Mind


Ep. 5 — Danielle Baskin

Striking Internet Gold


Ep. 4 — Alexander Gilkes

Givers Are Getters


Ep. 3 — Susan MacTavish Best

Hosting a Rave for the Intellect


Ep. 2 — John Fiorentino

The Hunt for Big Ideas


Ep. 1 — Eric Ryan

Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal



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