“Don’t Copy What Other People Are Doing”

With a background in satirical writing and a love of fun, conceptual copy, it’s no surprise that Matthijs van Rumpt is now using his wordy skills to create campaigns in adland. Working at KesselsKramer’s Amsterdam office, the creative has been inspired by campaigns created for the likes of Diesel and the Hans Brinker Budget Hotel, which champion the style of writing that he's most fond of.

Having grown up in the Dutch village of Alblasserdam and honing his craft through his degree, as well as practical experience writing on a satirical site, he believes that pushing into uncomfortable territory is the best way to find magic. 

Sharing more about this as well as why he encourages every creative to be themselves, Matthijs shares a personal selection of top five tips which have supported him through the process. 

If you want to be a copywriter, you have to spend your childhood in the small Dutch village of Alblasserdam. It has a lot of churches, it's near a DuPont factory and it's famous for windmills. (I'm not sure how that helps, but it worked for me.)

Study something very theoretical in the humanities at the University of Amsterdam and write your thesis on melting ice sheets in art. This is absolutely necessary if you want to be a copywriter. Also, write for a satire website for seven years.

Not being a copywriter already makes you a very good candidate for a copywriter. Many of the people who work at KesselsKramer don’t have a background in advertising, which I think brings fresh perspectives and creates new and exciting work. If you then form a duo with art director Tristan Roques, you can create work such as: day-to-day tricks to grow very old, a revolutionary solution for plastic water bottles and a celebration of weirdness.

Some people say that the most important thing for copywriters is to be good at writing, but this is a misconception. The most important thing is to feel very uncomfortable with everything you see on LinkedIn since you started following ‘#copywriting’ content. Every copywriter should feel cautious towards people who preach about copywriting, and feel this deep urge to distance themselves from everything that contains ‘#copywriting’.

Don’t copy what other people are doing. Get your inspiration from your own favourite books, such as ‘Pilgrim at Tinker Creek’ by Annie Dillard, ‘Dept. of Speculation’ by Jenny Offill or some short stories by George Saunders. Never take any advice, especially from someone you’ve never heard of. Every copywriter should do this. #copywriting.