Tara Erwin
SKM Group - Buffalo Advertising Agency - Creating results through targeted marketing.
Even though he’s only been with us for a relatively short time, copywriter Greg Bauch has made quite an impression. Literally. That’s because in addition to his day job of molding the written word like he’s Demi Moore at that potter’s wheel in “Ghost,” Greg moonlights as a comedian and blogger, coming up with witty quips, one-liners and—you guessed it—impressions, including a memorable routine at our holiday party last month.
Greg’s been busy creating indomitable direct marketing copy for clients such as Bank of the West, SunTrust Bank, Webster Bank and TD Bank, in addition to helping with branding materials for Louie’s Texas Red Hots and TV spots for NOCO and Northtown Automotive Companies. He previously worked at LocalEdge as a copywriter and WGR Sports Radio as a producer. He’s won a couple of fancy awards for his comedic prowess, but Greg’s *real* claim to fame is his weekly recaps of “The Bachelor.”
Read on to find out how writing for advertising and writing for comedy are actually quite similar, how he confronts audience, er, feedback and what TV show could possibly replace his love for “The Bachelor.”
1. What’s your middle name?
I have two. My name is Gregory Nelson Baker Bauch. My mom had a dream the night before she knew I was “on the way.” Father Baker told her to name me after him. The Virgin Mary was standing in the background of this dream. This is a true story.
2.What made you want to initially pursue a career in radio?
I used to walk around South Buffalo with a walkman, listening to Rick Jeanneret call Sabres games. I’d even tape games to listen back to his calls. While signing up to go to college for electrical engineering, I said, “I hate math! I want to do radio!” Luckily, I have cool parents.
3. How does radio and copywriting tie together, if at all?
To me, everything I create follows the same process; you take a project and you write it out. Whether I was hosting a sports talk show, producing a commercial or creating a radio skit involving mimes playing football, I would write down the key components first. Copywriting is imagination and trial and error. It doesn’t matter if your medium is radio, print, TV or a blank sheet of paper.
4. Share a little bit about the anatomy of a good joke. What’s the creative process behind coming up with a punchline? Is there anything about it that mirrors the creative process for writing ad copy?
It’s all about finding the right word. Some words just fit situations better than others. If the punchline is, “She shot me in the arm with a gun,” change “gun” to “bazooka” because “bazooka” is a funnier word.
The biggest thing is to make things short so your audience doesn’t get bored or uncomfortable. When you’re watching a comic on TV, notice how he or she is inserting a punchline into his or her routine every 3rd or 4th line. “ABC” – always be closing.
5. Can anyone learn to be funny or is it an inborn trait?
Absolutely. Everyone is funny. There is no one person who is funny to everyone and no one who isn’t funny to at least one person. If you want to make someone laugh, there are little tricks you can use to present your routine. Some people are naturally funny. My dad is the funniest person I know and he never tried.
6. What’s the key to writing compelling copy?
Write gooder things and stuff. Think like a customer. Understand why someone would want what you’re pitching. Be brief. Use as many exclamation points as possible!!!!!!!!!11!!!!eleventy!11!!!11
7. Tell us a little bit about how “The Bachelor” recap on your blog came to fruition.
I hate this show and hate that this is a part of my life. Just getting that out there before we get started.
Twelve years ago, I was home while my girlfriend (now my wife) watched the show. I emailed a friend about the ridiculous things I was hearing because his girlfriend also watched the show. It turned into a four-way email with other friends. One day, I recapped the show and put it on the WGR website. My boss flipped out and said, “You can’t put this crap on a sports website.” The recap got a ton of hits. My boss said, “Now you have to recap this and put it on our website every week.”
I’ve been recapping this show ever since and I wish so badly I could stop doing it.
8. Have you ever had anyone get upset at you after an anecdote involving them became fodder for one of your comedy routines?
You’re talking about my wife, right? You can just say “your wife” instead of “anyone.” I do talk about my wife in my standup routine, but only because she is an amazing person with a great sense of humor. She encourages me to add little things that happen in our lives into my routine. She’s way funnier than me, just shy. I try not to make people mad and I never attack or victimize people. I don’t think that’s the right way to do it.
One time, I did a show with several comic friends. There was a woman sitting in front who loudly talked through everyone’s routine. She was just awful, but she was really hot so none of the other comics would confront her because they all wanted to sleep with her. I was the last comic up, and by the time I got up there, I was so mad, I just laid into her and broke her down. It was kind of a masterpiece. She didn’t have a chance. The woman left crying with her friend, and the rest of my set really sucked because everyone in the room was uncomfortable. I regret this night every day. It’s the first and last time I’ve ever done anything like that. Why are you making me relive this?
9. How do you deal with hecklers while performing?
I hardly ever get heckled. Most of the shows I’ve performed at or attended do not involve heckling. I kind of like being heckled because it’s fun to think on your feet. The first thing you do is locate the person heckling you and find something personal to point out. Some guy drinking a Diet Snapple once heckled me and I switched the focus from his jab into a diatribe about why he’d drink Diet Snapple. There’s nothing wrong with drinking Diet Snapple, but people don’t like it when you call attention to their habits or personality traits.
He felt exposed, but he started it by heckling. With a heckler everything is fair game. If a fat guy heckles you, tell him to finish chewing before he heckles. If a bald guy heckles you, hold your hand in front of your eyes to shield the light reflecting off his bald head. If your mom heckles you, tell everyone about the time she forgot to pick you up from school and you got kidnapped and sold into a slave labor ring where they forced you to make sneakers for 14 hours a day with no bathroom breaks.
Most hecklers desperately want to be a part of the show, until you start to really pick on them. Every single heckler I’ve dealt with has come up to me after the show to excitedly talk about the exchange.
10. If you could watch only one other TV show (besides “The Bachelor,” of course), and had to choose between “Barney” and “Teletubbies,” which would it be?
“Teletubbies” is strangely mesmerizing, but with “Barney” I could learn the words to the songs and sing them to annoy my wife and dog. After 12 years of watching “The Bachelor,” they could make a TV show about roadkill recipes and I’d enjoy it. I have to go because I think I might have a hit on my hands with “Roadkill Recipes.” Who wouldn’t watch that? I’m going to be a billionaire!!!! I’m going to buy a hockey team!!!!!!11!!! !!!! (add more exclamation points)!!!111!!!
Tara Erwin
Public Relations Manager
The post Copywriter Greg Bauch Is All About the Funny Business appeared first on SKM Group - Buffalo Advertising Agency.