Related Posts
Conversation Starter
Coach
More Posts
Anonymous User
Do you always need an MBA to get into MBB?
Additional Posts in Advertising
Alas, I don't qualify.
Who's got the most fishbowl points?
Tips for dealing with procrastination?
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
Is a writer supposed to art direct? There are specialties for a reason. If an AD can write that’s awesome but if he/she can’t it doesn’t make them a fraud. It makes them an art director. Now comping is another story.
See, Freelance 1 has it figured out: you walk in, pitch some pie in the sky bs everyone knows they would never do (even if they had the budget). but the client is just so enamored by your use of cool advertising jargon, plus you dressed exactly how they always fantasized an advertising guru to dress - (your sport coat says “business,” but your Warby’s and Vans tell a different story. “We’re intrigued. Tell us more.” “Expect high ROI, and maybe some awards? We love it!” Some glad handing, grab your giant pay check and off to the next show! Next week, the client will call and ask annoying things like, “so what will it look like and how much will it cost?” Then they’ll offer some suggestions: “how about instead of the amazing thing the whole idea rests on, we do this other lame thing that looks like all the other shit we’ve ever done.” But don’t you worry, that’s some other naive creatives problem to figure out. Besides, you’ve just been promoted again!
FL 1 when the agency’s not in the room for 2/3rds of the client meetings, and the deck is being passed around the halls at Carl’s Jr, your articulate words mean fuckall, freelance guy.
Refuse to comp? What the hell are they? Dude fire this guy and hire me instead
I will never hire an AD that can't design ✅
I’m glad for these lazy art directors. That’s why an agency went look for me overseas to give me a job in USA. And the reason I always have offers, coming my way
Thanks lazy Art Directors! You rock!
Why don’t art directors just do everything?
I’d rather have an art director who can concept well vs an art director who can comp well,1000 times over.
CD1 wear scarves and shoot amateur photography
I don’t know any art directors who wouldn’t comp to help get an idea across. I also don’t know any art directors who’s job it is to do the writing on top of being an art director. Wtf is a copy partner for? This post is a fraud.
ACD1 if you don’t know by now that comps sell work I’d consider an exit strategy
I also knew a copywriter who can’t write headlines. Didn’t even try. He’s an ECD now.
Apparently if you have enough charisma and can present really well you don't need to be able to art direct, write, comp, or come up with ideas. Frauds go straight to the top.
At my old agency, I watched art directors who couldn’t even make a shitty sketch for our studio to comp get promoted. Meanwhile, my ass who spent 4 years at the country’s top design school getting torn a new one every day and told I had to be good enough for the real world, was told by creative leads I had to prove myself as a designer before I could switch to creative; I wish they had let me go toe-to-toe with their roster of ADs before I jumped ship. All this to say, as someone who went through the hurdles to be a competent designer, you have no idea how frustrating it is so get to the other side and see people who can’t even fucking open illustrator working.
For some reason there are some young people that call themselves Creatives and neither design, comp or write. They only concept. With less than a few years of experience. When I’ve run across them, they always seem to couple with a Designer or AD that they depend on to “make the work”. They are getting hired and rehired so the scam seems to be working.
An Art Director who can’t design is like a cowboy who can’t ride a horse
Also, I know a few ADs who are attempting this route. It’s all fun and games till you have to write more than five headlines or more than three sentences of copy. That’s when I say “but I thought you were a writer now...”
Digitas—looks like you stopped reading halfway through my one-sentence post. That’s why we need comps.
OP, this is a real problem. What’s worse is some creative leaders support it! 🤦♀️ There are art directors coming out of school looking to be hired just as someone who concepts. No comps. No design. No real experience. Just concepts. No wonder the ad industry is in trouble
Why are ADs writing copy? There are SMEs for that. It’s like asking a copywriter to start comping art. 🙄