How to get into advertising part 1

Content may be specific to Malaysia only. But for the most part, applies to everyone.

1)Decide what you want to be. Copywriter, Art Director, Designer, Planner, Account Servicing.

Copywriter






Writes "copy" for ads. Generates ideas. Sorts out strategy. Presents at meetings. Computer games when bored. Secretly wants to write a novel/movie script/TV show.

Main tools: Microsoft Word. Microsoft Powerpoint. Pencil/Pen. Moleskine notebook. Non-specific blog application.



Art Director


Art Directs the ads. Generates ideas. Master at D.I(digital image editing). Sorts out strategy. Computer games when bored. Secretly wants to become a photographer/film director/music video director.

Main tools: Photoshop. Illustrator. Pencil/Pen. Sketchpad. Deviant art.



Designer


Designs logos/fonts/products/packaging/layout/leaflets/brochures/posters/everything. Wants to someday work in the Apple/Louis Vuitton design department. Some of the best designers I've seen have taken a simple idea for an invite card and made it into a transformer*.

Main tools: Photoshop. Illustrator. Pencil/Pen. Sketchpad. Reference books for typography/design. Photo of Steve Jobs on an altar.



Planner



Provides strategic planning for brand direction. Provides planning for campaigns. Crunches numbers on demographics/psychographics/brand advocates and regurgitates them into 50 slide powerpoint files.

Main tools: Powerpoint. Survey websites. Google insights. Google keyword tool. Trips to the psych to solve identity crisis of "not quite a creative but not quite a suit either".



Account servicing a.k.a Suit



Manages client expectations. Liason between clients and creative. Maintains brand consistency. Writes briefs for creatives. Bills client. Sorts out timelines.

Main tools: Powerpoint. Excel. Several telephones. Heavy duty brush for scrubbing off the shame in the shower every night.




That's the gamut. There are other more specific job titles. Such as "interactive so-and-so" and your media department. But your common agency will have a setup with the jobs listed above.

However we are in exciting times and things are-a-changing.

I spoke with Scott Witt from Droga5 a couple years ago. His job was something along the lines of "context man". Who did everything from creative directing/planning/media for full campaigns.

In CP+B they have a full-on industrial design dept. that just makes new products everyday. In Dentsu Japan, it's quite prestigious to be a receptionist**.

Part II when I haven't come home at 1 a.m from the office on a public holiday***.






*I'm not kidding. We were making an eco-friendly card for an eco-friendly event. The card could fold in on itself several times to reveal random messages on maximising paper usage before eventually settling on its final shape of a flower pot.

**This is the fucking truth. They are tested on looks, manners, their VOICE etc.

***Still want to work in advertising? Stay tuned!