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I don’t know a single art director at my agency who has designed a logo. That’s a designer thing
50% of “art directors” conflate it with graphic design.
I’m so confused by this
See CD4’s comment below. Thoughts?
I think for art directors/copywriters who aspire to be CDs or GCDs the lines need to get blurred as it makes them better leaders. They are able to view projects holistically and in turn create an efficient work process for teams they oversee. For others who enjoy the craft of their job more and prefer making over managing it doesn’t have to be that way. From a personal experience though, I’ve always preferred working with CDs skilled at both vs. one area, because I feel it makes me a better, more well rounded creative.
And that’ll be a great day!
Who wants to read a script written by an AD? If my AD partner tries to write a script, all it means is that I now have to spend time either fixing it or telling them why it’s garbage. It’s a huge waste of time for everyone. So there! I solved your problem! Stop writing scripts - in fact, stop writing anything - and everyone will be happier. If someone is telling you that your career progress depends on this, it’s only because they need to come up with reasons why they’re not giving you a promotion/raise.
You two should post with your names instead of titles so people know who not to hire.
An art director should 100% be able to write a script’s visuals and/or a script that is visually driven. That said, I certainly would never expect an ad to write a manifesto/dialogue/tag/etc, although, I’ve known a couple who could do those things just as good as most writers.
And in terms of how writers progress, they absolutely should be developing an eye. And while I couldn’t design a logo, I’m constantly dropping my own scripts into slides, pulling key frames, concepting visual solutions, yada, yada, yada.
Dual responsibilities as S AD1 mentions above. And that would be truly be great!
You shouldn’t need to know how to WRITE scripts but you should definitely know how to come up with them. You think that’s only the writer’s responsibility?
Yeah I’d agree with that.
Why would you judge an AD on scripts for progress?
The same reason you’d be judged for pulling together, example, low res visuals. Maybe? It doesn’t have to be that way, does it?
If by progress you mean what separates the good from the great, then I totally agree it takes a strong understanding of copywriting to be great, just as a great copywriter will have a strong understanding of art direction.
I don't want an AD CD who can't write a good script if needed.
Scripts aren't that hard to write. There's a technique. If you have a good idea, they kinda write themselves.
Haven’t*
What you wrote is the complete opposite of what you meant, because you were careless. Reading the scripts you dash off in two minutes must be a joy.
Yes, there is a career ceiling for ADs that can’t tell a story.
Why do you thing writers don’t feel that burden?
@cw1 that bubbles at midnight when the writers sleeping and I’m still at the office the day before a meeting making updates 🤷🏻♂️
You should maybe see it the other way. As if you can learn how to write a script a copywriter will probably never learn properly how to use the tools you use, since it takes a long time to do (even though some know already). So if you learn how to write a good script you can maybe become a better CD than you copywriter can be.
I think either way, as someone said earlier, your growth is measured of your ability to be good at a broader range of things.
I’m not mad at all and OP doesn’t seem either.
But thanks CW for your huge experience and opening the world of advertising to us.
I think the progress measure is less about executing the other side (I don’t give a shit if a copywriter is a Photoshop pro, or if an AD can write a script), but it’s more a question of taste and understanding. Can my copywriters think visually, have suggestions and know good design when they see it? Can my ADs know good taglines when they hear them, tell a story about their idea using words? As you progress in your career you execute less anyway, so you really just need to be able to understand what it takes from both sides and be able to direct (hence, the title) both sides on how to make work as good as possible.