GETTING A COMPLEX PROPOSITION down to a few words is never easy. Doing it in a way that surprises or amuses - and makes visual sense - is an even greater challenge.

As a copywriter I've always abided by the credo be a thinker first and a writer second. And I have been lucky enough to work with some excellent art directors and designers who also seek to understand benefits and communicate them effectively through ideas.

For many years I have worked with art director Jerry Davis on advertising and direct mail projects, notably for Hewlett-Packard. They chose us over their ad agency, Saatchi & Saatchi, not only because we did the job at a fraction of the cost, but also because our work delivered excellent response rates.

More recently we have led creative development for easyFairs, the world's leading organizer of time & cost-effective trade shows.