THE COPYWRITER IS DEAD.

LONG LIVE THE COPYWRITER.

Is copywriting disappearing?
Not really. But it’s being diluted — and that’s arguably worse.

The trend is subtle but everywhere.
We’re swapping writers for people who can “write a bit.”
We’re letting anyone with a Grammarly plug-in and access to ChatGPT take the wheel.
We’re underestimating the commercial and creative power of language — and overestimating how easy it is to wield it.

Great writing isn’t optional.

It’s still how brands move people — and move product.

We don’t see long-copy print ads much anymore. Fine.
But scroll through the best-performing brand work of the last decade and it’s not the visuals people quote —
it’s the line.

“Just do it.”
“Think different.”
“For the players.”
“Impossible is nothing.”
“Every little helps.”

Language builds memory.
Memory builds trust.
Trust builds growth.

And yet — half the copy out there today reads like it was written at 4:55pm on a Friday by someone who once did an English degree.

Design without writing is styling.

Writing without thinking is noise.

When we let writing become an afterthought, we don’t just lose polish — we lose clarity, distinctiveness, and effectiveness.

A visual might grab attention.
A line locks in meaning.

If you’ve ever fought for space in a feed, or battled indifference in a pitch, you know how valuable that is.

Good copy isn’t decoration. It’s a commercial asset.

We invest in photography. In UX. In motion.
But when it comes to writing — the one thing guaranteed to touch every single part of the customer journey —
we go budget.

It’s bizarre.

Nobody would ask the office intern to close the year-end books because they’re “quite good at Excel.”
So why are we still handing the brand’s voice to whoever shouts loudest in the Slack channel?

AI can write.

But it can’t think. Or feel. Or know when not to speak.

Don’t get us wrong: we use AI too.
But smart tools still need smart humans.
There’s a difference between generating text and crafting copy.
A good writer makes the idea land sharper. Cleaner. More confidently. More emotionally.
They know what to say, how to say it, and what not to say at all.

Copywriters still matter.

Now more than ever.

Because the more fragmented the media, the louder the noise, and the faster the scroll —
the more powerful it is to say one thing brilliantly.

In a world full of auto-filled, overused phrases like “redefining innovation” and “delivering excellence,”
a line with real soul?
That stands out.

The copywriter isn’t dead.
They’re just getting harder to find — and easier to overlook.

Don’t make that mistake.

SHA. is a strategic advertising agency, creating brand strategy, advertising, design for print and content for web and social. If you want to know more, get in touch with nigelh@sha-agency.com or visit our contacts page.

“The opinions in this article are that of the author alone and in no way, reflect the opinions or viewpoint of the agency. Unless of course we happen to agree with those opinions completely, in which case they might, but otherwise they don’t”