Need a fire starter? A fire fighter? A writer you can call on anytime to help you impress? No client has ever come to me just once.
Fast, collaborative, easy to work with – I can ease the pressure you’re under with:
Great copy – compelling, customer-centric, tonally spot-on
Conceptual starters – everything from ‘safe’ to ‘out there’
Brand support – missions/visions, naming, tone of voice
Presentations – humanised, distilled, purpose-driven
Start small if you like and I’ll win your trust. Digital, print, motion, personal promo. Home-office-based in Sussex, ready to be your go-to resource for a few hours, a few days, whatever you need to lift your project.
iammattcunningham@gmail.com / 07973-343060
“Why them and not you?” That’s the simple but powerful question I asked myself on behalf of The Prince’s Trust. The story that followed, the juxtaposed experience of two deeply contrasting lives, began to tell itself after that. I remember one of the younger account handlers rushing in, beaming. “The client just called, all tearful”, she told me. “They’ve just their biggest ever one-off donation from a couple who were really moved by our ad.”
The best ideas come from the heart. I can help you make that meaningful connection with your target market.
EVER WONDERED WHY THEM AND NOT YOU?
“My dad was always there to guide me” “My mum is on her own”
“It was a healthy place to grow up” “I’m frightened to walk home”
“I was always encouraged to do well” “People look at me like I’m scum”
“My older sister went to university” “My big brother is in prison”
“My school was one of the best” “I get bullied at school”
“I had sports and drama too” “There’s nothing to do around here”
“I always wanted to be a doctor” “I’m worried I’ll be homeless when I leave care”
Proud to collaborate with the brilliant team at mReaction on projects that won Transform Awards GOLD two years in a row. They’re an agency that gives every brief the energy it deserves. The result: an enduring relationship with Kramp, Europe’s No.1 agri-supplier, and a recurring opportunity for me to contribute enthusiasm, conceptual thinking, and copy that drives brand and sales in tandem.
Copy has to be written with empathy. Getting the balance right is what it takes win clients, sales, and awards too – including Best Brand Expression in Social Media.
GENERATIONS OF WORKING THE SOIL
For 70 years, Kramp has made life easier for farmers. While you’ve worked the soil, watched the skies, tended the crops, we’ve been hard at work too, making sure you have all the technical equipment and support you need.
That’s how we’ve grown into Europe’s largest agri-supply specialist with more than 500,000 easy-to-order products, ready to deliver fast, to help you keep farming.
KRAMP | We Keep Farmers Farming
Long copy projects bring great challenges and rewards, and the one showcased here was no different. The brief: intertwine the story of a great man’s life and career, at the moment of his retirement, with the history of the bank he’d led with distinction for the past decade.
The challenges were many: a huge amount of source material; multiple stakeholder perspectives; a labyrinthine approval process. But the rewards were worth it: a visibly moved recipient (the man himself); a fantastic collaboration with the designers and production team; and a finished piece I’m very proud to have written.
Excerpt from introduction
When Professor Benedict Oramah took office, his pledge went far beyond ensuring finance. He promised to rewire the foundations of Africa’s trade architecture and unlock the full potential of a market of 1.3 billion people across 55 nations. Building on the work of his predecessors, his blueprint was clear: Africa built on “African Best Practice”; self-reliant, regionally integrated, and globally competitive.
Today, that vision has moved beyond aspiration. Through a cohesive network of instruments, platforms, and partnerships, Afreximbank is reimagining how Africa trades with itself and the world – and in doing so, shaping the direction of the continent’s economic renaissance.
What follows is the record: a decade of promises delivered through transformational leadership.
“One of the best writers I’ve ever worked with.”
Emma Perkins, Head of LEGO Agency, EMEA (formerly ECD, Mullenlowe Open)
“I know I can email Matt anytime, and he will find a few hours, a few days, whatever it takes, to give us the support we need.”
Tim Craig, Founding Partner, mReaction
“Brilliant output … and always enjoyable to work with.”
Terhas Berhe, Owner and Founder, Brandcomms
"A powerful writer – an exceptional creative talent. He also has a natural wit which lends a lightness of touch to even the dullest subject matter."
Ken Muir, Founding Partner, Mohawk
“Great source of fresh ideas, really strong writer – I've pitched with Matt many times and wouldn't hesitate to recommend him."
John Foenander, Vice President, Publicis Sapient
"Matt is 80% creative, 80% planner – more valuable than just one guy. Super-smart, almost architectural copy – delivers on every KPI he's ever been thrown."
Penny Dinmore, Board Director, Iris
I keep this piece from early in my career because it speaks to the standards I set for myself. “Be warned,” I was told about The Economist. “They’re very snooty about copy.” Okay, I thought, let’s see.
I was nervous (I still get nervous when I start a new project). But I was confident too, because I knew that I could and would make that copy sing. I worked at my desk. I worked on the train. I worked into the night. And the result: zero amends. It turned out they weren’t snooty about copy, after all – just dedicated, like me, to making it the best it can be.
(Sorry for the blurry image – my original’s seen better days)
ET TU, AMERICA?
As world leaders converged on New York for the United Nations’ 50th birthday celebrations, The Economist ignored the hype to reveal an organisation suffering a severe mid-life crisis. America itself now heads the list of disgruntled nations either refusing to – or unable to – honour financial obligations to the UN. Would bureaucratic reform bring them back into the fold? Or are the divisions symptomatic of a more entrenched disillusion?
Assembled with clarity and precision, The Economist’s regular Special Reports are invaluable for keeping track of key events as they unfold.
Anyone who works in advertising and doesn’t think they’re in sales is being naive. Personally, I love selling stuff – and finding imaginative ways to do it. I’ve helped every kind of brand over the years, from boutique start-ups to global big-hitters – and they all have exactly the same view when it comes to boosting sales. Yes please, more of that.
Here’s a few that earned their keep and more:
For Sainsbury’s – an inviting pop-up book presentation to drive uptake of online grocery shopping – inspired by my own kids and their love of pop-up books at home.
For MacDonald Hotels – a little playfulness with the door hangers to showcase weekend breaks for golfers, lovers and sleuths.
For Etihad Airways – one of many ‘destination inspiration’ examples created to encourage global travel and airline ticket sales.
What’s that? The client loves the figures for Q4? Great!
When I first met the team from Batonga Foundation, they asked me why they should entrust their project to me. I replied: “Because I’ll give my heart to it,” and thankfully they gave me the chance to prove it.
Since then, the trust has grown. I’ve now written their tone of voice guidelines; edited their rebranded website; created scripts for their telethon presenters; and helped them find myriad ways to connect with donors, mentors, and the young women themselves. Batonga is working courageously to impact young lives for the better, and I feel privileged to be playing a small part in helping.
WE ARE BATONGA
We are here to champion Africa’s hardest-to-reach girls. With the right knowledge and skills they will become agents of change in their own lives and communities. We want every girl in every village to have a burning belief that her life is important, that her ambitions can be realised, that she can take control of her own destiny.
Making risk management fun! Sometimes there’s no better way to prove yourself than to make a turkey fly. The brief (as I saw it): take a dry, complex topic and make it pre-watershed funny for gravitas-laden bankers while also navigating African/Middle-Eastern gender politics and multi-faith sensibility. And you need it by Friday?
The Riskbusters comms series I devised had a lot of work to do. But by utilising three universal types (multi-tasking boss, go-getter and geek) to punctuate the dull stuff, it hit all its markers – and none more important than making an under-appreciated risk management team feel like they’d been given some TLC for once.
RISKBUSTERS
“Risk culture means living on the edge, Mission Impossible style, am I right?” “No, it means working with a clear set of core values.”
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“Philosophy is great! Can we dress like ancient Greeks?” “A suit and tie will be fine, thank you.”
