Advertising’s a brutal industry.
It lives in the moment, it’s always against a deadline, it’s incredibly critical and harsh.
So it’s easy to forget it’s build around people.
People who really care about what they’re doing.
And people who regularly get run rough-shod over.
For an industry that’s all about creating connections we often forget about doing that outside of the ads.
But you can create a lot of meaning without doing very much.
Send feedback to directors, photographers and illustrators who’ve sweated over treatments for jobs. A paragraph or two of why you’ve gone the way you have. Remember how annoyed you get when you don’t receive proper feedback after a pitch.
Message back to those spec emails, whether they’re from students, job hunters or craftspeople. It’s a lonely world out there sending out your hopes and dreams into the void. Let people know they’ve been seen, a short reply means a lot.
Recruiting? Then treat people with the respect and good grace you’d expect yourself. Don’t ghost them.
And make sure all of these processes are run in ways that aren’t unnecessarily painful or a waste of people’s time.
If you want to go a bit further, find ways to offer up your time. Whether giving advice to students, chatting to suppliers, giving career advice, mentoring or helping people who’ve been screwed over.
We’re all in this together, and when we’re working for each other the best work happens.
It’s through collaboration that ideas build and grow.
The best of everyone coming together.
None of the things I’ve suggested take very long, but they mean a lot.
That just leaves me one thing to say, thank you.
