my own ad school

So now that I have a product (or two) to create an ad for, I can now start brainstorming! I’m nervous and excited at the same time – after all, I have no idea if what I’ll be doing is right or if it’s “how everyone does it” (is there a certain way creatives brainstorm?). But I think I should be fine… I do have my ad books nearby in case I get stuck.

The first two products I’ve decided to work on are: Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash and Ensure Shakes. I got the idea of starting with two products instead of one from Hey Whipple, Squeeze This. Luke Sullivan suggested that if you move between projects, you may come up with ideas faster. So I guess I’ll have to see how that goes …

I’ve already started to write down the product information of the face wash as well as product reviews, so I guess I could start coming up with some ideas now. (To all the creatives out there: am I forgetting to do anything else? Suggestions? Reminders?)

Ogilvy On Advertising was written about twenty years ago so the material may seem outdated. But nonetheless, the information in this book is priceless. It has plenty of examples of great classical ads from back in the day and it also talks about the business side of advertising (how to get clients, how an ad agency is run, etc.). It also writes about what the ingredients are in a great ad and which layout works over others. It’s important to note the effectiveness of these ads and learn from them because most of these ads have been persuading consumers to buy their products for at least 10 years! I would suggest reading this book first, then following it up with Hey Whipple, Squeeze This and Cutting Edge Advertising II.

I’ve been reading these three books for a while now, trying to soak up as much as I can before I try my first attempt at creating my first spec ad. All three have been extremely helpful! I’ve learned that advertising is a craft – so it will definitely take a lot of time to develop a great book. I knew this process would be hard, but after reading these, I realized that it is really going to be a challenge.

One last thing: if any of you would like to suggest products or services that you’d like to see me create an ad for, let me know.

This video (thanks adhunt) shows an interesting take on how creatives come up with their ideas. It starts to make you think about how powerful subliminal persuasion can be. Since I’m not really in the industry, I have no idea if other creatives have experienced something like this. Does this usually happen? Or is this video just making me believe that?

After catching the advertising bug, it’s given me this mad obsession about learning anything and everything I can about advertising. And one of the things I was dying to know: how can I make a living working in advertising? (aka what are some of the job titles one can have working in the advertising industry?)

mybigfuture lists 6 different positions where you can read each one and see if any fits your skills and personality. The information here is great because it tells you what you would be doing in that position and which characteristics would be ideal for the job. The only thing is that the six they’ve listed there aren’t as specific. For example, under “Creative”, it won’t describe what it’s like being an Art Director or a Copywriter.

For a better description on specific disciplines such as Account Planning, Art Direction and Copywriting, websites of portfolio schools can help you out with that. Here’s summary of what I gathered from a few of the p-schools I checked out:

Art Direction

• For those who are “intrigued by colors , typography and technology” and who work with a visual mind. (VCU Adcenter)
• You’ll come up with a visual image for various types of media (posters, billboards, commercials, etc.) to persuade consumers to buy a product or service. (Miami Ad School)
• You’ll “oversee every detail that timpacts the visual presentation of your work – from photography and illustration to typograph, production, and talent.” (Portfolio Center)

Copywriting

• You’re a “wizard of wit” and a “book-reading, story-making, note-passing, joke-telling, encyclopedia of useless trivia and crazy ideas” (Miami Ad School)
• Copywriters are great writers that can “communicate marketing ideas effectively” (Portfolio Center)
• “You use words like artists use pictures … You think big and have the ability to take that big thought and make it simple” (VCU Adcenter)

Account Planning

• You’re the type that relies on your intuition and you’re a great people person. Gut feelings are important with this job and you have to “instinctively ‘know things’”. You also help the creative team in coming up with that big idea of persuading the customers to buy that one brand over the rest of them. (Miami Ad School)

For a brief moment, I was on the fence between art direction and copywriting. Writing has always been a passion of mine, but I’m also intrigued with colours and typography. But after giving it some thought, I asked myself which I’d enjoy doing more of, and my answer was writing. Writing has both been my escape and my solution to almost everything in my life and I can’t picture myself pursuing a career without it. (Hmmm, that kinda sounded a little cheesy…)

Ok, here’s my final answer on why I’d choose copywriting over art direction: the writing is what I almost-always pay more attention to when I see an ad, watch a tv commercial, or listen to the radio. If it had great writing, I’d always go “Man, I wish I thought of that!” or “Whoever came up with that is a genius!” and so on, and so on. Yea, the art direction grabs my attention too, but I’ve always had this habit of paying more attention to the words of an ad.

Now that I’ve found which shoe fits, I hope that this entry can somewhat help you find/choose a shoe. And for those of you who are already in the industry, feel free to let me know how you made the decision of which career in advertising you chose to get into.

Thought it was pretty cool when I saw this on the Google homepage.

Since it’s Earth Day, I thought I’d post a few of the ads that have caught my eye about raising awareness on the environment.

Singapore Environment Council (source: Coolz0r)

An interesting non-traditional advertising idea from WWF (source: 2wenty 4our)

Greenpeace (see the rest of the ads in Adrants)

Another one from Greenpeace (source: adgoodness)

I’ve seen this ad numerous times, but I still remember the first time I saw it: my parents and I were dying of laughter! And then my parents began to tease me on how I’d actually die if I were to attempt eating that Flamethrower burger. I have somewhat of a long distance relationship going on with food whose names include the words hot, fire, flame, jalapeno, and spicy (just to name a few).

And since I’ve found the recent Dairy Queen ads pretty amusing, here’s another one:

If you haven’t already done so yet, head over to ihaveanidea.org already! I know that there’s an insane amount of articles, ads, and information on that site, but they are all worth reading! To prove this, I’ve decided to visit the site and gave myself 3o mins to take notes (kind of like sitting in a class lecture, except without the boredom). If I can learn this much in half-an-hour, imagine what other beneficial tips you can find by spending a little more time? Also, this is just what I gathered from the the Articles section – there’s plenty more in the forum.

• Know the industry. Read publications, books, magazines. Visit the websites of ad agencies and look at their work.
• Familiarize yourself with campaigns. You can start with Volkswagen.
• When you’re just starting out, just stick to print ads.
• Use your resume to showcase your creativity. But make sure its easy to read/skim through.
• Network, network, network! Cold-call, ask for an interview, ask for a referral.
• Keep things simple. Avoid creating ads that are overdone and that have too much going on. Simplicity wins hands down.
• Don’t fantasize about skipping steps and getting your dream job in a snap. Everyone starts at the bottom if they wanna get to the top and this could take a while. Step #1: work your butt off on that portfolio. Step #2: start as a junior. Step#3: keep working your butt off.
• There are more people applying for jobs than there are jobs waiting to be filled.
• Be yourself and don’t act like what you think creatives are supposed to act like. They can sniff out phony personalities.
• Keep moving. You’ll never know when the next opportunity will pop up.
• There IS an unglamourous side of advertising. Nothing’s perfect. But it could still be a great place to be in if you make it that way.
• Look at the yellow pages for possible products/services you can create ads for to add in your portfolio.
• Examine those direct mail brochures/flyers and the ads in the back of tabloid magazines. You’ll probably start off working on those as a junior. If you can sell those, it could be easier selling other things.
• Avoid all attempts on creating ads for big companies like Nike, Volkswagen, and Apple. It’s better to focus your time and energy on others.
• The glass ceiling is present in the ad industry. I guess it gives us females more of a reason to step it up and show everyone what we’re capable of.
• Juniors get little pay and little say. Just because you’re in, it doesn’t mean the hard work needs to stop. If anything, it means that you need to prove to everyone that they made the right choice of hiring you.
• Once you’re in, do everything you can to help out. People will appreciate it and you’ll learn a lot while you’re doing it.
• If the agency life isn’t for you, you can also freelance. There are successful freelance art directors and copywriters out there.
• Don’t be a pain-in-the-ass and assume you know it all. You’re in, be grateful – now start working.
• Be patient. It’s a waiting game.
• There’s thousands of people in the same boat, competing for the same job. Just be persistent and don’t give up.

From gapingvoid’s How To Be Creative:

1. Ignore everybody.
2. The idea doesn’t have to be big. It just has to change the world.
3. Put the hours in.
4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being “discovered” by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.
5. You are responsible for your own experience.
6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.
7. Keep your day job.
8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.
9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.
10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.
11. Don’t try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.
12. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.
13. Never compare your inside with somebody else’s outside.
14. Dying young is overrated.
15. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.
16. The world is changing.
17. Merit can be bought. Passion can’t.
18. Avoid the Watercooler Gang.
19. Sing in your own voice.
20. The choice of media is irrelevant.
21. Selling out is harder than it looks.
22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.
23. Worrying about “Commercial vs. Artistic” is a complete waste of time.
24. Don’t worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.
25. You have to find your own schtick.
26. Write from the heart.
27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.
28. Power is never given. Power is taken.
29. Whatever choice you make, The Devil gets his due eventually.
30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.
31. Remain frugal.

* Make sure you click on the link to read what Hugh wrote under each tip.

So I’ve received my first “constructive criticism” comment.

I know that proper grammar is very important (not only in the advertising industry, but in almost every other industry as well). I made the decision to write My Own Ad School in a more casual tone, rather than a professional one. So maybe by doing this, I was a little more loose in my writing style, which resulted in poor grammar. If it weren’t for this comment, I wouldn’t have been able to correct my mistake. And there’s no doubt that I will be more conscious of my grammar when I apply for jobs.

That being said, I’m glad to have received this comment because a) it’s something I need to improve on, b) it’s a good start for developing thicker skin [a must in advertising!], and c) it gave me an idea to write about in my blog.

How important is grammar in the advertising industry? Extremely important. But then this got me thinking:

Let’s say a creative director was very impressed with a junior copywriter’s portfolio and was thinking of offering this person a job. But right before he was about to hire this person, he read an email that the junior had written, which could have used better grammar. Would the creative director suddenly change his mind about hiring the junior copywriter? What if his portfolio had great long copy spec ads? How critical of a factor is grammar? Is it critical enough to change this creative director’s mind?

If what the author of this comment wrote is true, then I’ll just have to add it to my list on what I need to work harder on of things to work on.

Here’s an interesting video I found from Beyond Madison Avenue.

Sir Ken Robinson delivers an entertaining and captivating lecture on how creativity should be treated just as important as literacy in our education system.

Here is one of my favourite parts of his lecture, which I thought reflected how my friends and I were growing up:

… kids will take a chance. If they don’t know, they’ll have a go. They’re not frightened of being wrong. Now I don’t mean to say that being wrong is the same as being creative. What we do know is that if you’re not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original. And by the time they get to be adults, most kids have lost that capacity. They’ve become frightened of being wrong and we run our companies like this by the way, we stigmatize mistakes. And we’re not running national education systems where mistakes are the worst thing you can make and the resuls is that we’re educating people out of their creative capacities. Picasso once said this, he said that all children are born artist – the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up. I believe this passionately, that we don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it. Or rather we get educated out of it.