Kay is keen to make her name in advertising and score a Superbowl ad while she’s at it. At one of New York’s hippest ad agencies, she’s teamed up with her secret crush and old friend Ben - she produces the words while he creates the artwork. When the firm gets the opportunity to pitch for a cola drink brand, she thinks this may be their moment to shine. But her trusty partnership with Ben is under threat. Meanwhile Kay vents at home with a secret side project filming wax dolls – and thanks to her Paris-based friend it soon goes viral. This book by two former copywriters delivers on exposing the snarky side of the industry. But I really didn’t like the dolls scenario – and it is rather crucial to the plot. The premise of the video certainly didn’t seem intriguing enough to make it go viral. But then again a dog sticking its head out of sunroof can go viral, so what do I know? Lose the dolls and add more of that advertising rivalry and boys’ club posturing, and this would have worked much better for me.
Copygirl, the debut novel by former copywriters Anna Mitchael and Michelle Sassa, is being touted as Mad Men meets The Devil Wears Prada and is about a woman working at the hippest ad agency in New York. The summary says: "So. You want to work in advertising. The glitz, the glamour, the cocktail-fuelled brainstorming sessions and Xbox breaks. Sounds like a dream job, right? Wrong. The reality can be a nightmare. There are five simple rules for succeeding in the ad world - and I think I've already broken every single one...
1) Never let them see you cry. Even if your best friend breaks your heart. And posts it all over social media.
2) Be one of the boys. And, if you were born with the wrong equipment, flaunt what you've got to distract them while you get ahead.
3) Come up with the perfect pitch in an instant - or have your resume ready to go at all times.
4) Trust no one. Seriously. If you don't watch your back, they'll steal your ideas, your pride, even your stapler.
5) Most importantly, don't ever, under any circumstances, be a CopyGirl.
Trust me. I know..."
Copygirl is out in October 2015.