Chris Neal is a big fan of horror movies, ripping through all the new releases. His love of the cinema saw Chris study film, together with English, at Sheffield Hallam University, England. And it was while at university that he started to hone his skills as a copywriter.
“I think my biggest inspiration when I was starting out as a writer was dialogue from films and TV, especially famous quotes or one-liners,” says Chris. “And then on the flip side just seeing how dialogue and tone rises and falls rhythmically in certain scenes, like how Aaron Sorkin writes dialogue in iambic pentameter.”
Like many good copywriters, Chris observes how others speak and write. “Improvised comedy really interests me,” says Chris. “I’m used to agonising and being meticulous about every word, piece of punctuation or phrase I use, so watching people who can turn a little prompt into a sketch on the spot just blows my mind.”
Chris is now a Senior Copywriter at Luxid, working mostly across AWS and Crocs. “I’d say the variety is what drew me to copywriting in general, because from one day to the next I can be working on anything and everything from creative concepts and classic ad copy to video scripts, emails and social media posts.”
His role at Luxid enables Chris to support members of the copy team and to work closely with people in others functions in the agency. “For me, Luxid is all about the people,” says Chris. “From my first interview nearly two years ago they made me feel right at home and I could tell they had something special. And working remotely means I really look forward to every team social and gathering.”
The breadth of work that comes with being a copywriter in Luxid’s Creative Excellence solution is clearly very stimulating. But it takes a special kind of person to manage all the different creative challenges that present themselves each day. So, it’s not surprising then that the Luxid value that Chris most relates to is ‘driven’.
“I’m probably similar to a lot of creatives in that I can get a bit overloaded by new information when I get a new complex brief, but it’s taking in all that information and marinating your brain in it that always leads to great creative work,” explains Chris. “There’s always a moment – even with really complex briefs – where it all clicks into place and you find that one crystallising idea that brings it all together.”
And maybe similar to other creatives, Chris is a fan of strong black coffee to get that extra kick during the day. But he balances this out with tactical napping – his ‘superpower’. “Anytime, anywhere; I can nap on planes and trains as easy as I can on my own sofa on a lazy Saturday afternoon.”
Chris is keen on art and has a print by English artist Kid Acne in his office, which says ‘Stick to the Plan’. “He does some great solid colour and block text prints with different quotes and has some great street art around Sheffield where I live.”
And if Chris could choose to do anything for a day? “If I wasn’t a writer, I’d probably be a therapist, I’ve been told I’m a very good listener.”
If like Chris, you love being able to use creative skills to produce results-driven work for clients, then Luxid could be just the place for you. Everything you need to know about working for Luxid is here.
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