What is OutWord?
OutWord is a fistfight between Don Draper and Anthony Bourdain in a dingy divebar after they are both overserved daquiris spiked with acid by the bartender – the ol’ troublemaker that is William S. Burroughs. From the dark corner, Anais Nin watches the slugfest play out while Bukowski tries to get a hand up her skirt. A right hook, Draper’s pretty nose pops in a spray of blood – a clean break. Bourdain, mouth bloodied and out of breath, hands him a rag for the bleeding.
Not believing what he saw, David Ogilvy jots down a bunch of notes and dashes out the door – skipping out on his tab – to run these stolen, inflated ideas back up to his overpriced Madison Avenue office. He steps out into the street where he is promptly flattened by a city bus. Driving the bus is none other than Joe Strummer. Casbah, rocked.
This is OutWord.
OutWord is a creative shop.
Yes. Really.
We sell creativity through practiced storytelling that is changing the way people see their world.
Is “more creativity” the answer in a world that is perpetually distracted with content delivered through devices that shatter our attentions to useless slivers?
Because that’s your problem, isn’t it? You think there is something lacking in your “creative skills” that prevents you from standing out and getting the results you want?
Do you need creativity? Or do you need courage?
OutWord is a response to the bastardized, violated, and polluted world of advertising and marketing (and, frankly, the world advertising and marketing corrupted). We wanted hundreds of clients struggle to find ways to exist, much less flourish, with methods intent on beating them down. We watched companies dump hundreds of thousands of dollars down the drain while trying to chase results that will never exist.
Your audience is meant for something more than “engagement.” Your campaigns should yield something more than a 3% CTR. Your copy should soak them green with envy.
We think you’ve got a story to tell and we know “once upon a time” won’t do it justice.
Find out if we’re for you. Hit the button, make something happen.
Some Options…
Brand Messaging
The thing that makes you, you. Refinement, next stage, or from the ground up. Not just what you think you sound like, but what your audience needs to hear.
Corporate Creative Consultation
Every creative team gets stale, especially yours. Did you hire enthusiastic minds for great ideas only to promptly crush them into monotony and arbitrary deadlines? This is for you.
Individual Coaching
For those who “did more art back in college” before life, job, kids, etc. got in the way. Your creative power defines your identity. Both are nothing without the other.
Ideation & Production
- Brand, Company, and Product Copy & Messaging
- Strategy Campaigns
- Digital Ad Campaign Management
- Landing Pages
- Automated Email Campaigns
- Articles, books, whitepapers, and other ways people read information.
Creative Consultation & Coaching
- 1:1 consulting for small projects
- Coaching and ideation for internal marketing teams and agencies
- Third-party consults because it is damn hard to read the label from inside the bottle.
- Whatever strange, boutique, adhoc needs you happen to find yourself wrapped up with.
Things Said, Claims Made
— Kylie Larson, Elemental Coaching“Working with Dave is a dream. He took the time to understand my clients so we could talk to them in a way that wasn’t sales-y, but rather empathetic. He helped me re-do my website copy, write heartfelt blogs and crafted an email series that converts. Dave also was able to write in a way that was authentic to my voice, but way more polished.”
“Working with David Pennington was exactly what I needed exactly when I needed it. I had lapsed into corporate speak and had lost my voice in the process. Our brand had become safe and, frankly, stale. I thought I was hiring a copywriter to breathe new life into our content and instead I found a coach, a catalyst, a confidante. He challenged me and changed me. I’m now writing with joy again. I’m giving voice to my unique point of view and in the process the way I see my business has also fundamentally changed for the better. His methods are unconventional so you really have to show up with an open mind and willing to trust the process. I’d recommend working with David if you’re willing to accept that your comfort zone is actually a prison and you’re ready to be an accessory to setting yourself free.” Jennifer Lambert – Chief Strategy Officer – Terra Staffing Group
“David is the epitome of the saying ‘to be a strong editor, you first need to be a strong writer.’ He is both of those things and more. I would go as far to say he is the strong coach that the strong editor needs in order to coach the strong writer. I can always trust he’ll bring ingenious problem solving, error-free prose and witty storytelling to the table. He is always quick to communicate, quick to forgive those who are slow to respond (guilty), incredibly reliable on deadlines, and somehow always finds a way to impress and go the extra mile. I highly recommend working with him in any realm of the creative writing, editing or strategy process — even if you just need a patient, encouraging coach to help give you a laugh and see the light at the end of the tunnel.” – April Cumming, Content Manager – Outdoorsy.com
“Dave completely changed the game for our company, and his vision and storytelling has taken us to a level we could never have dreamed of. As our company has grown we have always felt that our website and marketing content were a weak point, but we didn’t know what to do about it. Every time we sat down to try and revamp what we had ourselves it either got worse or more nebulous and complicated. With Dave as our guide, we have solidified our company vision, goals, and future plans, not only in regard to marketing but as a path forward for our company growth in general. I would highly recommend working with Dave and we can’t wait to see where our continued relationship takes us in the future!”