Punny Business

The two became friends over a tag line. The subject was “Surf’s Up,” an animated movie featuring penguins; the client wanted the word “ocean” in the line. Both Richard and David came up independently with the line that would eventually appear on the poster: “A Major Ocean Picture.”

Maria Bustillos explores the world of “theatrical print copywriters,” also known as the folks who make up movie tag lines. Could you be one?