Greetings prospective employer.
I’m Rich. Comedian-turned-copywriter and all round inquisitive human being.
After 18 years of writing jokes, ads, articles, content and talks, I’ve got this thing pretty down pat.
If you want someone to create, amplify or evolve your tone of voice and apply it to everything from bolshy brand billboards to 404 error messages, you’ve come to the right place.
I can write in any tone you like, but my best stuff is dry humour with a cheeky wink. I work in a no-fuss way and am highly adaptable to working rhythms and conditions. I bring my creative zeal to work, but check my ego at the door. After all, we’re not packing parachutes here.
Take a squizz at a few samples below, and if you like what you read, get in touch.
Hahn was looking to create a more authentic and personable relationship with its customers.
They approached me to write a series of articles for a “modern life” content series - a mix of practical advice and tongue-in-cheek humour.
The Brief
The WORK
I wrote about 15 articles all up, that lived on a now-defunct content page and in social channels. Here are a couple of my faves. The first one went bananas on social.
THE OUTCOME
The series was hugely successful on social, and most articles were published without any rounds of feedback (AKA I had the brand ToV nailed).
Besides some very snarky social comments, this was probably the best bit of feedback, from the client:
“Rich is a funny, funny guy who is as great at coming up with ideas as he is at executing them. So great, in fact, that a feature he wrote this year was our best performing piece of editorial – ever. And some recent feedback from a client was 'Actually laughing out loud at my desk'. Boom.”
- Helen Acton. Agency Content Editor, Hahn Brewing.
The brief
As the voice of nudie for around 3 years, I was responsible for everything from truck design to direct mail, TVCs to a ToV refresh.
This brief was to revive the nudie tone of voice and rewrite labels for 20+ products. They had found themselves with a range that was dull and overloaded with product claims, and severely lacking the cheek and humour they were once famous for.
THE WORK
I wrote a stack of copy for this one, below are a few of my favourite labels.
Enjoy the light balance of product claims, authentic brand stories and inventive language.
THE OUTCOME
It’s difficult to track effectiveness of branding work, but most of the packaging copy I wrote six years ago is still being printed on millions of labels a year. Seems a pretty good endorsement to me!
Be funny for a living.
The Brief
The work
I spent ten years working as a stand-up comedian. I wrote, directed and performed my own comedy shows for a decade. I’ve worked extensively in the UK/Europe, USA/Canada, and Australia, building a strong capacity for empathy and connection along the way.
Here are some bits that will help you get in my head:
THE OUTCOME
Highlights included performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for four years running, touring globally and appearing on Channel 4’s Stand-up Hero (UK).
Some nice things people said:
“Not a name I’ll be forgetting soon” - Michael Macintyre
"Painfully Funny" - Three Weeks Magazine
"Very intelligent and intensely funny" - FreeComedy.co.uk
