Do you think famous authors could cut it in the ad industry?
Take Stephen King for example. He’s the most commercially successful author this world has ever seen. He’s written 65 novels/novellas, hundreds of more short stories, sold more than 400 million copies of his books, and had 52 of them turned into movies. Even more were turned into miniseries or shows. Stephen King has mastered the art of storytelling; his words have sold his books. But could they sell a product? Would they be more effective in an ad campaign versus a different copywriter?
It’s funny to imagine The King of Horror sitting behind a computer in an office, hampered by rules and procedures, limited by a creative brief. Some people thrive in that environment; it keeps them on task, focuses their thoughts, makes them even more productive. But for someone like King, I’d imagine that kind of limitation is just that: limiting. His ideas are big enough to fill Lambeau Field, then spill over the edges and put Green Bay underwater.
At the same time, I’ve read enough of Mr. King’s novels to know that he writes some of the best sentences in the world. Individual sentences. Singular notions that drive home a point, evoke emotions, terrify, even sell. Exactly what copywriters are paid to do. Those sentences make me think that he’d have been a very talented copywriter indeed. If you’ve read “The Stand”, you know what I mean.
I think it’s safe to say Stephen King made the right decision to put pen to paper (or fingers to typewriter) and churn out so many beautiful stories. But I also believe a career in advertising would have been very very successful, and very very hard on the wallets of people around the globe.
So do I think famous authors could cut it in the ad industry? The answer is a resounding yes.
09/13/2024
