The Copywriter Collective wants to end the 'Linkedin Hunger Games' by launching a US branch

The Copywriter Collective, Europe's top agency for freelance copywriters, has expanded into the United States. The agency has recruited a team of 50 freelance American copywriters, creative directors, and executive creative directors with a combined portfolio of over 1,000 international advertising awards. The agency aims to revolutionize the US freelance advertising scene by connecting creative recruiters with top talent within hours.

Based in Amsterdam, Copywriter Collective has a strong reputation for supplying European creatives to major brands and agencies since 2004. The agency guarantees exceptional talent at all levels and has recruited highly regarded figures in the freelance advertising world to represent it.

"We're starting with the cream of the crop, a short roster in the three hubs that will grow as we get more demand," explained agency founder Jack Stafford. "We want to get regular work for the writers we represent, not spread the jobs thinly across thousands of writers. We're also promoting diversity by recruiting from various backgrounds and genders equally, aiming for an agency representative of America as a whole."

Most countries worldwide are in recession now. Is it a good time to launch in the United states?
Jack Stafford: From the many interviews I’ve done over the last six months, I learned that 2023 was the worst year ever for many freelance creatives in America. But despite perceptions, America is not in recession. I think it’s just a distribution of work. And we can hope to correct that—at least for the writers we represent—through our traditional, back-to-basics approach.

How does the US market differ from Europe and Asia?
Jack Stafford: We originated from Amsterdam and the rates are pretty much the same there. London is a lot more competitive and it’s a race to the bottom. We prefer to compete on quality rather than price, but do offer our clients a tier of writers so we match their budget needs.

What about the existing giants like Working not Working or Creative Circle?
Jack Stafford: I’ve spoken with many copywriters over the last few months and they are all very disgruntled with the existing platforms which don’t give them much work—and when they do, they take a huge chunk of the writer’s income.

Will you also sellout and end up with 10,000+ creatives on the site?
Jack Stafford: That’s not our model. We will get more creatives if the demand is there and we have more work than our existing copywriters can handle. But we won’t open the doors and let everyone sign up because we lose control and it would quickly become a mess. It’s a short-term boost for long-term dissatisfied clients. We come from an agency background, we’re not a Silicon Valley startup.

Why don’t you represent Art Directors?
Jack Stafford: We’ve found that writers have multiple Art Directors they can call on depending on the job. In Europe, the different languages were the Unique Selling Point, language was the USP, so we pushed Copywriters first and Art Directors second.

How will AI affect the industry?
Jack Stafford: We’ve noticed a big dropoff in the lower end of the copywriting business… long copy for websites and content writers. That’s why our US expansion is focusing on award-winning writers—ACD and above.

The Linkedin Hunger Games
Copywriter Collective's U.S. division will offer Creative Recruiters access to an elite pool of copywriting talent, without needing to search themselves.

"Copywriter Collective is win-win. We are a dream come true for Creative Recruiters, because instead of posting a job on Linkedin and drowning in replies, they can send the brief to us and we propose a selection of creatives available tomorrow. While copywriters can avoid the LinkedIn Hunger Games and let us promote them."

Stafford himself was a copywriter in Amsterdam but side-stepped into being an agent when he found he was better at managing other writers than writing himself.

5000 advertising awards says it all

Between them, Copywriter Collective's writers have won more awards than most Advertising Agencies.

Copywriter Collective has established a strong presence in the European market with its traditional approach and unwavering dedication to quality.

Sandra van Gemert leads the agency in Amsterdam and has been part of the business for 16 years. Before joining the agency, she spent 15 years working in international agencies as a Traffic/Creative Recruiter. Copywriter Collective was founded 20 years ago in Amsterdam, and it launched with Great British Creatives.

"We've stayed true to our model from the beginning," she explains. "We've always preferred our model of a small group of creatives, combined with local agents to fuel our growth across Europe. Now, we're excited to apply that same proven formula to our expansion into the US."

"We handle every job personally, so we know their strengths, skills and availability. You're not working with a database, but a real live agent."

As other platforms like Working not Working undergo transformations following their acquisition by Fiverr and Creative Circle, Copywriter Collective remains steadfast in its dedication to specializing in copywriting.

"We've found that focusing on copywriters allows us to remain nimble and manageable. Despite numerous offers, I've never entertained the idea of selling the company because we've always prioritized maintaining our unique identity and service," explains Stafford.

Copywriter Collective is poised to become a dominant force in the American advertising landscape.