Client Testimonials, Awards and Recognition

​​​​Jim and Inna were brought in at the very beginning of an ambitious and audacious campaign.  Their task was to help us get attention for our Enterprise brand in a very noisy, busy marketplace. And they blew us away. Their initial proposals clearly demonstrated that they “got” our goals, our story, our personality. The chosen “Go Allwhere” campaign immediately gained support and interest from our organization because it was bold and creative and fun. They came to the table with stunningly good content and creative, and then worked endless hours – night, day, weekend – to deliver the highest quality finished product. They both work at the extreme end of professionalism, integrity and personal responsibility for both the concepts they present as well as the finished product. This campaign is as much their “baby” as ours. Despite the hard work and often crazy deadlines, they remained positive and supportive. I would definitely recommend them to other organizations who are seeking to build, renew or reinforce their brand with captivating campaigns.  

Manish Gulyani. VP, Enterprise Marketing and Communications, Nokia

There are writers, then there are Writers. The difference, to me, has always been the quality of the thinking behind the words. The capacity to string words together in an understandable sequence is a shared quality. We all have it, more or less. But it’s the quality of the ideas that drive those words, the thinking, that makes people stop and listen. May I introduce Jim Diorio, Writer.

Terry O'Reilly, Host, Under the Influence / Author: The Age of Persuasion 

There are copywriters and then there is Jim Diorio. I’ve personally worked with some truly great ones these past 25 years both in the US and here in Canada. From Steve Hayden, Co Creator of the Apple 1984 spot to Terry O’Reilly before he started Pirate. And very high on that list sits the amazing Jim Diorio. He wrote some of the finest Mercedes-Benz work we ever did in our 10 years with that client and his IKEA Germany work was hilarious. And now that Jim is a freelance writer, the rest of us can benefit once again from his prodigious talent.

Geoffrey Roche, Founder, Lowe RocheIan Mackellar, Chief Creative Officer, Innocean

Jim Diorio is one of the most gifted copywriters I have ever worked with (and I've had the pleasure of working with some great ones). Whether it was a campaign for a new business pitch, a mission statement for the company, or a great Christmas card headline, you could always count on Jim to be brilliant. He thinks before he writes and his writing makes you think.  Somebody once said, 'it takes a tortured soul to wield a mighty pen.'  Both are true of Jim.

Brett Marchand, President & CEO, Plus Company (Global network of 25 agencies)

I had the pleasure of working with Jim as a copywriter at the very early stages of developing a new wine brand close to my heart called D’Ont Poke the Bear. Jim invested a great amount of time listening to the origin of the thinking that lead us to where we are, and spent hours developing story lines and themes before we pared it down to what is written on the back of our label today. When I watch our customers read the label for the first time and see their smile, laugh or just plain appreciation for what we are all about, I think about how important it was to have Jim aboard to shape the copy from day one.

Jim is a creative mercenary —a straight-up professional. He demands clarity during the briefing process and then delivers unfailingly spectacular results. No going down rabbit holes or ending up at dead ends. He is the rare beast who values the craft and understands the reality of the business, instinctually knowing how far to push. He's been an invaluable asset to our team.

It has been my distinct pleasure to work with the team at Touchwood on the development of a new brand identity and roll out for Headwaters Tourism’s consumer brand. The experience was exceptional from our very first meeting. They listened, they observed, they asked questions, they delved and they prodded. At the end of it, I think they understood us better than we understood ourselves. And then they got creative. They distilled the complexity of the task into a simple, yet rich, nuanced identity. They also “got” our reality, our budget and our political sensitivities. And they still made it work – brilliantly. This was truly collaboration at its finest. The passion, innovation and ingenuity that they brought to this project was world-class.

Jim Diorio, I give immense respect to you as a rare creature who matches a splendid sense of humour with a linguistic talent that puts me to shame. Thank you for cleaning up my clunky manuscript.

Jim’s a treat to work with as a copywriter. He’s got the depth of experience to make an impact on any client’s business.  He’s got a collaborative spirit that makes everyone value his opinion. He’s got the skill to bring clever concepts to the table and a deft way with words that makes his copy sing. Whether you bring him in on for a project, a pitch or for ongoing creative support, it’ll feel like he’s always been part of your team.

Jim Diorio is a conjuror of copy. He has transformed our ideas - and our sometimes vague directions - into concise pieces that have made us look witty, clever and clear. He listens very, very carefully, scribbles something in his notebook and then there is this economy to his wordsmithing that is quite astonishing. We don't exactly know how he does it, but his work... is magic. 

I spent a few years working with Jim at Roche. He has an infectious laugh and a wicked sense of humour that comes through in everything he writes. Not only is Jim a true craftsman, but he can write anything from a witty laugh-out-loud headline to a one-hour speech, or even a sitcom.

Jim was a complete pleasure to work with. He brings enthusiasm then backs it up with talent and a quick "get-it". He is professional, inspired and a multi-dimensional copywriting talent. I recommend Jim for whatever writing challenge you are up against.

Trust, surprise, and total excitement is how to best express gratitude about Jim's campaign for Vivo Musique’s first concert for a young classical pianist. The post designs, choice of words and images, and advice he gave on how to share, time, and post on social media were definitely the reason for its wonderful success. Reticent media suddenly responded, reacted and booked after I shared the posts. The copy created a dialogue that demystified a cultural community, broke down barriers and opened an audience for this pianist, where in classical music it is sometimes feared or intimidating. Everyone complimented MY company on the marketing. 

I have worked with many creative people in my long career and writers in particular.  I have never worked with a copywriter and creative mind as exceptional as Jim Diorio.  He is talented in all ways a writer should be – he has original ideas, a rigor with the language that is unparalleled, a unique style, and he is exceptional wordsmith.  However, what makes Jim even more extraordinary as a creative guy is his business acumen and productivity.  He is so fast in his understanding (he needs only the briefest of briefings) and then so fast in producing something that takes your breath away.  He doesn’t fall in love with his ideas or a turn of phrase the way some do; his measure of success is aligned with the business needs, not just the artistic.  His breath of ability and experience is huge – he can work on virtually any type of project. If I had only one copywriter to ever work with on any project, it would be Jim Diorio. Hands down.

Jim’s writing has made us a significantly better agency. His work is always our best, including the work for the Scarborough Hospital. Strategically and creatively Jim takes us to a level we couldn’t reach on our own.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Applied Arts, 2022, Video Scripts for Unflood Ontario