Anything bearing any resemblence to praise or thanks assumes huge importance for you if you devote large chunks of your life to being alone in a room with just the sound of a keyboard for company. These comments are valuable to me because they mean that this foolish isolation just may have made a difference. Well, that's what I like to think.
"Hi Janine, I just wanted to give you some feedback on Scott - I have had great feedback on him - the client [Mercedes-Benz] has said it's the best copy he has ever read! Matt B was also very impressed, and the feedback from PMs was that he was very quick. Just wanted to let you know!"
"We’ve been trying unsuccessfully to find a way to get our message across for over ten years, but you’ve managed to do it. I want to shout 'yes!', as you've really captured the essence of what we do."
"Scott - I cannot thank you enough. I've not changed anything nor want you to rewrite anything. Thank you.”
“Just a quick note to say thanks so much for the copy. I love it. I love the fact that it is not what I expect. I love the fact that there are no clichés, everything is unexpected yet fits. Thanks. Of course, I have a few comments but they are minor; the tone and the style is spot on in my opinion."
"Hi Scott, I just wanted to add my voice to the chorus of thanks coming from Ziggurat and Berkeley for all your work and inspiration."
“The best bit was the brochure which bears your name... I thought it terrific... bloomin' marvellous! I hope you are as pleased with it as we are. It would have been good to meet a man with ideas like yours. Thanks for your sensitive text in the booklet. You seem to understand what matters to that odd and almost unknown thing called The Salvation Army.”
“You did a great job… I think this is the best brochure I developed in my career as marketing communications manager. Will always be proud of it!”
"The message is very clear and strong, and really works to support the whole premium beverage portfolio. I think once we get the images sent across to you and slotted in to place, they will be very powerful selling tools for our sales teams."
"Scott is an excellent writer and collaborator, he understands design and knows how to complement it. When Scott works on a job you have a creative partner on the team, not an opponent."
"Scott and I sat in the garden for two days on a brand essence, and arrived at what we believed to be the only answer. Six months later, a programme of carefully constructed international research carried out in all major markets produced precisely the same two words. What else is there to say?"
"I LOVE IT! A long time has passed so I forgot your unique genius at communication and understanding!"
“Just had a glance at that work you’re doing with Al and his team. It looks spot on and Al says you’re working wonders. Great news. Thanks.”
Toby Ingram
Head of copy, SAS Design
“Loved the copy, fantastic, you really captured our company personality. Very challenging and brave both in content and style… don’t let me “chicken out”.
Roger Nichols
Managing director, Nichols Consultancy
"Richard was really impressed with the brand book. Well done!... [He] said your narrative ‘nearly’ bought tears to his eyes!!!"
Andrew Zulver
Director, Zulver and Co
"Just drying my eyes – In a word BRILLIANT! I need to take it home and read it again in a less stressed surrounding, but I think you have got it all. Speak to you tomorrow – it was worth waiting every minute for. Many thanks"
Tim Oliver
Partner, HALOW
“I think this borders on genius.”
Chris Vane
Director, CV&Co
"I have great difficulty recommending Scott. It's not in my best interest. He is, as far as we are concerned, one of a rare breed of conceptual writers. He listens, thinks, and writes imaginitively and intelligently. He is also fun to work with. He doesn't have just one 'tone of voice', but varies it to suit the audience. Now he might never have time to work for us again - so please don't use him!"
Lynn Trickett
Director, Trickett Associates
"I liked the Brand Book. I assume that you were responsible for the words - jolly good!”
Peter Lyon
Ex-partner, Austin-Smith:Lord
“This goes beyond writing – this is consultancy.”
Eric Holding
Strategic projects, John Thompson and Partners
"Hi Scott,
Thank you for the work you sent through, it was spot on."
Caroline Donaghue
Associate director, Sectorlight
"Hi Scott,
Many thanks for the article. Beautifully written! I really like it. Enjoy reading this as a reader myself! Captured all the essence we discussed with the right ingredients and substance. This article is more of yours now than mine! Once again, thank you for the effort and contribution!"
Jun Wright
Commercial director – International/APAC for Jeyes Limited
"Hi Scott,
I love it. It’s my favourite article too. It is a joy to read. Didn’t think we would ever trump the Russia article but this one has."
Eileen Lee
Head of marketing, Nichols Consultancy
"We were very happy with the review and are getting a very positive response from it. Thanks for all your work on it."
Louise Kyme
Design manager, British Heart Foundation
“What we do as a business is our biggest selling point but we always want to do more in London, and to do that we need to comunícate. Scott has helped us convey our important messages to others. His words have reflected fully our passion for directness, quality and attention to detail in our work. He didn't write this - you can probably tell. Thank you Scott.”
Mike Hussey
Development director, Head of Central London, Land Securities Plc
“Scott is a rare breed - truly excellent at his craft and an absolute joy to work with. The answer to all my copywriting prayers.”
Jan Casey
Brand management consultant
"Copywriter with endless imagination."
www.togetherdesign.co.uk
“Perfectly paced.”
Judges report, McNaughton Review [of Land Securities Spirit Book]
"The best I've worked with. He creates fresh narrative wit that gets to the heart of what you want to say without too much fuss. Good writing is a craft and he is a master."
Andrew Zulver
Director, Zulver & Co.
“I’m phoning because I wanted to say I think the work you did for us before Christmas on our mailer and tagline was excellent. I really really liked it. Several star phrases in particular.”
Carol Lewin
Dew Gibbons
“Hard to praise this enough - created with true passion for a brand which is rooted in the past, but with a visionary eye on the future.”
The McNaughton Review [of Salvation Army ‘101’ Book]
“Made us laugh out loud - it's so true.”
The McNaughton Review 2005 [of Boss Brochure]
“Some time ago we were told that the website would supersede the brochure as a way of conveying salient facts about a product or service. This hasn't happened, though, as a well-designed brochure can still exude more personality than the average website.”
Lynda Relph-Knight
Editor, Design Week [of Boss brochure]
“What makes a great piece of editorial design? Ultimately, a good piece of editorial design will engage the reader, hold their attention and have the ability to tell a story well - especially if it's a topic that you didn't know much about. If you pick up a book and it achieves this, it has done its job.”
Shane Greeves
FutureBrand, Design Week judge [of Salvation Army ‘101’ Book.]
“I have to say I do like the challenging way we work!... They [Bacardi] think the text is spot on and the sentiment is correct.”
Gary Moore
Creative director, Meadow Creative
"Dear Heidi, I was so pleased and in fact moved by Scott's piece. It is a wonderful piece of writing and I feel honoured to be the subject. Please would you let me have his address so I can write to him. Kind regards."
Paul Coldwell
Artist
"Dear Scott, Heidi sent me your article. i was absolutely delighted and moved by it. The writing was beautiful and full of a poetic understanding of the ideas we discussed. I was very flattered to be the subject. I so enjoyed our conversation. I only changed the last lines in the description of where my work is held. Once again, many thanks."
Paul Coldwell
Artist
"The best way to describe Scott (without mentioning his loud shirts) is as a designer who thinks in words and not pictures. To put it another way Scott's approach is all about the idea, cutting the copy down to its very essence, with nothing unnecessarily flowery (except those shirts!). The problem I have is there's only one of him. If every copywriter were as intelligent, witty and fiercely engaging then the world would probably be a better place."
Jamie Ellul,
Director, Magpie
“In a saturated and some say declining market [paper], Tom & Otto is one of the few brands showing healthy growth, and I have no hesitation in saying that this is in no small part due to Scott's contribution to our marketing campaign. He's brought wit, approachability and life to the brand.”
Clare Cook
Vice-president communications, Map Merchant
“He has become an indispensable part of our creative team. Enough said.”
Gareth Howat
Partner, Hat-Trick Design
“The best introductory letter I have ever received.”
Peter Hale
Director, GBH Design Limited
“The best guideline documents I’ve ever read.”
Ben Millar
Design director, Brand Communications
“Scott. I love it. I've shown it to Lin. She loves it too. And we like risky... we'll keep the other one hidden up our sleeve in case.”
Keren House
Grande fromage, ‘Aricot Vert
“Thank you so much for your fantastic work – we love it!”
Alison Stoddart-Taylor
Managing director, Urban Remedy
"Have to say that I think the copy is unremittingly good."
Chris Vane
Director, CV&Co
“Just a quick note to say our presentation went very well indeed. Thank you very much for your help on this - in the end I barely changed it from your script; and fortunately we had enough time to rehearse it properly. Thanks again.”
Steve Gibbons
Creative director, Dew Gibbons
“The outstanding entry this year.”
Patrick Baglee
Creative director EHS Brann, Chairman D&AD Judges, Writing for Design 2005 [of Now Here’s A Funny Thing…]
“The best pieces were where the writing and the design effortlessly supported each other: ‘Now here’s a funny thing…’”
Lise Brian
Associate director, The Chase, Manchester, D&AD Judge, Writing for Design
“The best man for the job. Scott entertains, distilling key kernels of concepts with words that lie in wait, ambush, kidnap and whisk you of to another plane of either comprehension, humour or clarity, usually all three. Always a treat to read.”
Colin Goodhew
Creative director, Lucid Design [Winner Grand Prix, Design Effectiveness Awards]
"I wish we'd used you for our first brochure now."
David Murray
Head of marketing, Energy Developments Ltd, UK
"Working with Scott? Hmmm... Thoughtful, intense, creative, articulate, questioning, challenging, surprising, sharp, smart, witty, incisive, difficult for the right reasons."
Nina Jenkins
Creative director, The Partners
"This layout is particularly difficult to write for. I think it is a very clear example of adventurous writing working with an adventurous design."
Fay Sweet
2001 D&AD judge, Writing For Design [of FJ Cleveland Trade Marks brochure]
"Scott had an immediate grasp of what we wanted our brochure to communicate to our clients, and the copy he came up with was a revelation - truly inspired, concise and beautifully written. He was a pleasure to work with."
Clare Parker
Managing director, The Anthony Blake Photo Library
"Scott has a great ability to reveal the ideas behind assignments. Having worked with him over the past few years on projects ranging from advertising to corporate brochures, he has proven to be inspired, fastidious, dedicated and tall."
John Bryson
Creative director, Phoebus Associates
"I have used copywriters for nearly 20 years, but Scott's contribution to my new product prochure was so brilliantly different to anything previously experienced I can honestly say I wouldn't now use anyone else."
Peter Segasby
Managing director, Permada
"The Bartlett Mitchell text - it's great!"
Lin Dickens
Grande fromage, 'Aricot Vert
"The work you did has been very useful."
Tom Lawrence
Strategy & communications director, buyingTeam
“The wonderful thing about Scott's writing is that no matter how much you think you have a concept tied down he will always bring something new and exciting to the project. Clients are always impressed that someone has taken the time to get to know them and then can articulate what they require in an original, intelligent and thought-provoking manner. He's become a vital extension of our design process. In a word 'brilliant', in two words 'bloody brilliant'. Oh, and he's really a very nice guy.”
Andy Stanfield
Partner, Kino Design
“It’s had a very, very good response, we’re very happy, so thank you for all your very hard work.”
Elesh Gudka
Managing director, KSEG
“We are really thrilled with where we are on the copy at the moment… We loved the general sentiment… lines were fab.”
Marissa Ling
International and special projects, Residential, Knight Frank
“We love it – some of it has made us laugh out loud! I just love the water story - it's so spot on.”
Annabel Hewitt
Design director, ’Aricot Vert
“Artis were delighted with your copy and suggestions.”
Jamie Ellul
Design director, Blast
“I am about to present the work to Mike and just want to say a huge thank you for your work and help on this. As always the copy is amazing.”
Elizabeth Lockwood
Director, Infanta Creative
“This is splendid. We will need to make a few changes as you mentioned. Thank you very much, it's marvellous. You’re a legend.”
Stuart Radford
Director, Radford Wallace
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