Creative Advertising Jobs: Lateral Thinking
Published 5 Oct 2011 12:33
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From the winking, clear-skinned housewives of washing-up liquid to Kylie Minogue, clad in suspenders gyrating on a velvet bucking bronco for a lingerie brand, advertising is a testament to the limitlessness of imagination. Internet viral ads are lowering censorship requirements to allow for harder hitting campaigns. Products sprawl, splash and segment the urban landscape, clinging to lampposts, riding on buses, holding our morning coffee. Streets are becoming etched with ideas, scored by the imagination of advertisers. When we take the morning tube, they’re a refuge from eye contact. When we pick up a magazine, we find they’re more interesting than the articles they punctuate. Creative advertising jobs are sparse, but not unattainable – here are some of the skills potential employers will expect from their candidates:
A way with words: Not only do copywriters have to be able to express in new terms the worth of a product, often they need to adjust their turn of phrase to fit perfectly with a brief. Some of the most effective campaigns need little more than a potent slogan. Got milk? Just do it. The real thing. Images may excite the senses, but words excite the mind. Creative writers with a passion for wordplay can go far in advertising, and communication skills are a deal-breaker for any candidate.
An eye for the money shot: Increasingly, advertisers have to direct photo shoots, wield a camera or edit a sequence to transfer their vision into reality. Jobs in creative advertising offer a wide range of opportunities for those with visual scope, and many firms require photographers, stylists, prop managers, creative directors, as well as graphic designers, editors and programmers to realise a campaign.
Academic qualifications: Little can trump experience, but several universities in the UK offer creative advertising undergraduate and Master’s courses specifically designed to arm you with the skills to get a creative advertising job. Not only do these offer a practical, specialised focus on breaking into the industry, they’re often taught by professionals with invaluable insight and contacts.
Technical know-how: Even the humblest copywriters can benefit from having a basic grasp of programmes such as InDesign and Photoshop, and showing signs of diversification on any CV shows an open mind and an eagerness to learn. With a greater shift towards digital advertising and new media in the industry in recent years, those who can combine web development skills and SEO experience with creativity will be in greatest demand.
Experience: This is the big one. Even with all of the above skills, without experience, it’s unlikely an employer will want to take a chance. Getting your foot in the door can be a daunting prospect, but with perseverance and a positive outlook, it’s possible to find a humble acorn from which a great advertising career can flourish. Self-promotion online, speculative application and the offer to work for free, as a last resort, will eventually get results when combined with enthusiasm and ability.
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 05 Oct 11
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