John Thornton is not just an ordinary copywriter – he’s a master of viral campaigns and a man who probably should have been fired multiple times – but wasn’t. As a copywriter at Surreal Cereal, he is responsible for their witty, bold, and often absurd marketing campaigns that push the boundaries of advertising.
Previously, John worked as a social media manager at Innocent Drinks, where he sparked a wild online war over the color of the juice Bolt From The Blue and almost “poisoned” British children with the fictional Conker Milk, made from wild chestnuts. It was so entertaining that he was banned from the company’s LinkedIn profile.
His approach? Humor, unpredictability, and boldness. In the past, he has written engaging content and tweets for companies like Innocent Smoothies, Oxfam, and even the United Nations. Some of his work has won awards – most of it hasn’t.
If you want to learn how to make anything go viral (or at least get sued by two of the greatest athletes of all time), don’t miss his appearance at the Slovenian Advertising Festival (SOF). John will present his biggest successes (this won’t take long) and even bigger failures (this will take a bit longer) while teaching you how unconventional approaches can grab attention, generate massive reach, and gain media visibility.
