Why do some creative directors look at me funny when I tell them I’m an AD who can also write? Aren’t the best creatives good at both to [varying] degrees?

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Everyone thinks they're a writer. They're not.

I could be wrong, but they either don't believe you or your work doesn't reflect what you're saying. I've seen 4 ADs add "and CW" to their title over 7 years. And while they can definetly come up with a line or two, none of them are CWs.

I can do really solid mocks and have a good eye for design, but I don't walk around saying I'm "also an AD."

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This is not to say you can’t write, but as SC1 said above, writing is the one job EVERYONE thinks they can do, because yeah, everyone writes things every day, from emails to texts to social posts, and occasionally a couple of them are going to be witty or interesting. But doing it as a job is a whole other level, and most people don’t get the distinction. So it’s probably not you per se, just the perception of people who say things like “I also write”.

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Being aware of your limitations is also important.

The same way that “having a good eye for design” doesn’t make you an AD, “brushing and flossing” doesn’t turn you into a dentist.

I’ve partnered with enough good CWs to understand the need of someone that can craft a message the best way possible. I felt like sitting next to a sculptor watching him chip away a block of marble to create something beautiful.

With that said, FUCK titles and egos. This whole separation of copy and art is killing advertising. We’re supposed to sit together and CONCEPTUALIZE. Create the best idea to disrupt.

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☝️The OP isn’t saying they call them selves a CW

Most of the great art directors can come up with lines. Great copywriters think visually. If you can’t see the other side of the coin, you’re probably a drag on the team. When I see a nice look and a bad line, it’s not just a copy issue. Did the AD agree to that? Same goes when it’s a great line and a lame visual. You’re a team. You are each responsible for the whole idea

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I knew this guy in Chicago who was super arrogant about how he could do both AD and CW (Im not saying you're arrogant, this is just a story), he would always run his mouth about how he didnt need a partner. Karma got him--this agency looking to save money hired him as a team. 😆 Worked him to the bone giving him assignments as both. So sometimes it can be a bit of a bonehead humblebrag, if a place were to really call you on it...

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To clarify, I’ve held both titles at times throughout my career and have been hired as an AD specifically for my ability to write as well when an agency didn’t have the money to hire a writer. I’m just saying I still encounter CD’s to this day who seem to think this is impossible, which is super disappointing in 2018.

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Ok so you're amazing you can do it all we get it we believe but do you believe you who are you trying to convince

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Of course you can write and have contributed in your past. But no one is gonna give you the responsibility to own the copy, which is what is probably needed. What’s wrong with sticking to being an AD and chipping with copy during projects like regular ADs? Why the need to be ‘recognized’ by your CD?

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What is ur end game? Are u hoping to get ur writer fired? That is someone’s job ur messing with. If u have an idea for a line, fine. But someone owns that role already. Stay in ur lane.

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Pick one and let the other skills be a surprise. They’ll be more excited about it if they think they discovered it 🧐

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☝️ I didn’t say that either.

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Listen. I can run. I'm not a track 🌟

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@CD1if the CW gets fired because the AD comes up with a line now and then, both of them should immediately start looking for a way out of 1943. They’re in a time warp

I’ve somehow stumbled into my current role and don’t consider myself good enough at either to be an AD or CW...shhhhhh, don’t tell anyone

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