The next collection of tips for students, grads and juniors is here.
There’s plenty more, 45 more in fact, as the numbers might give away.
Find them back in the blog. You’re the tech savvy generation you know that without me telling you.
Tip 46 // Know your history.
Advertising’s always chasing the new.
The latest trend, technology or technique.
It’s easy to get distracted by those new shiny things.
But it’s important to know your history. Look at books, awards annuals, websites. Old ads, strategies, writing, art direction, design and craft.
Learn the structures of great work, how it’s put together and how it works.
Then you take all that old knowledge and use it in a new way.
Tip 47 // Act like a meerkat.
No, I don’t mean you should try and find everyone the best insurance deals.
But that you should lift your head up, with your eyes and ears open.
You’re not watching out for predators, but opportunities.
See what the other creatives are working on.
See what the account teams are doing.
And what briefs the strategy dept are prepping.
The more you know about what’s going on, the more chances you’ll get at making some great creative.
Tip 48 // Squeeze every meeting.
Over the years I’ve met a lot of advertising students.
In creative book crits, events or on Uni visits.
Most of them don’t come in with questions or requests beyond ‘Can I have a job?’.
Have things you want to know or things you want from the people you meet.
Ask to meet them again, ask if they have a spec brief for you, ask if they’ve heard of anywhere that’s hiring, ask if they could mentor you…
Get the most out of everyone you meet.
Tip 49 // Follow industry trends.
Advertising’s always changing.
With different channels, styles and skillsets appearing.
It means Creative Director’s constantly need to train or hire people with the knowledge of and ability to do these new things.
Look for the industry’s latest trends, what new media, tech or styles are being debated in the press? Then learn how that new stuff works.
If you do then you might be the new hire that answers problems like…
…‘We need to do a TikTok ad and don’t have anyone who knows how it works’.
*My next post’s going to be all about avoiding the latest trends. What a contradiction.
Tip 50 // Avoid industry trends.
You regularly see trends appear in advertising.
Cycles of the same type of work or technique.
One period featured animated animals singing. Another Mumford & Son style soundtracks. And all the Christmas ads pulled on heart-strings featuring both of the previous.
Creatives slip into creating work that feels cool and of the moment. That’s similar to what’s big at the time.
Clients and agencies even push for that.
You should do the exact opposite. Avoid the trend.
Create the type of work everyone wants to do their own version of.
