Advertising in a whole new light

Today, I got the luxury of going to an Advertising Association of Winnipeg luncheon on the topic of copyright laws. I call this a luxury because I have always wanted to join AAW since my first month in CreComm last year. It costs like $100 something to join. For that reason I never did.

I found out during my first week of work placement as a copywriter at CHUM Radio Winnipeg that I would be going. So today was the day. One of the main topics was, if you write or produce something for a future client in spec (as in a pitch to get their business) what rights do you, the creator have and what rights do they have since they haven't purchased your idea. Is your idea safe? We were told today in a seminar that using an idea doesn't count as infringement, but using expressions of that idea does.

Does this mean that our ideas aren't protected? Can anyone steal them? I have now learned the importance of having a written agreement/contract even for work that isn't purchased. Before we present anything under the possibility of any kind of transaction for that creation, we should always protect ourselves and our work. Good faith doesn't go far in this business, without written agreement nothing is safe.

I also learned that taking the work you did say while on an internship at a local radio station for a client and presenting that in a portfolio to take to another company in hopes of a job can also get you in trouble, unless you have a license to that work or a written agreement from the company.

I had no idea of any of this. At least I know now. And I thank CHUM Radio for allowing me this professional experience. I have learned so much in my week and a half with them. I feel like my copywriting has completely changed or at least the idea of it has.

I am learning how to write for clients by the top copywriters in the city. And although they critique everything I write over and over, they are challenging me to succeed and write something that will not only sell, but create emotion in our audience.

To create a memorable ad is the most challenging thing and I thank them for helping me create ads that have been approved not only by the client, but by the best in the industry.

I think of the world of advertising in a whole new way. A good ad takes time. What is it they say "Rome wasn't built in a day." Ha ha, what a cliche.

~Jenn