Second time around

My office is moving in a month. You all know how moves go with a 2-bedroom apartment, imagine a 10,000 square foot business. Messy mess all around.

I've been packing bits of my office this past week and lingered awhile with the 2 big boxes of portfolios sitting in a corner. Neglected since the popularity of electronic portfolios took over.

I'm really not sure what to do with them, some go back quite a few years. Their owners never reclaimed them and I occasionally poke through them when I'm stuck for a freelancer or candidate. It feels wrong to throw any of them away.

So I'm picking through the box and glancing at work and trying to decide if it's time to start chucking them. As I do this, I'm remembering sitting with some of these students and going over their books.

It's weird because I can recall not liking this or that particular campaign and trying to explain to the student why or how they could make it better. Though that's not the weird part. What's weird is that now that I re-look at some of this work a few years later, I'm liking it.

Now I'm questioning my old comments and thinking perhaps what I said or thought at the time isn't valid or has eased a bit. Is this just changing my mind? Is this what the passage of time does?

Really all I think it means is we –recruiters, creative directors, teachers– feel different things at different times about the work we are reviewing. You probably know this is true if you've participated in a portfolio review. One recruiter will say one thing and another will say exactly the opposite.

It's good to realize that the seeing work the second time around means I am opening the door to new talent. I'll reconsider people who weren't right at a particular time. You should know that's good news for you too. An agency who passed on you a few years ago may be calling you up for something now. Just as soon as they find your book at the bottom of the box.

Advertising & Branding Advice

Check out this video from Marcel Knobel, founder of the Creative and Commercial advertising agency. His interview with Ads of the World gives some great advice to juniors on how achieve a successful career.

Some of the questions he addresses:

"What elements are needed to succeed in the advertising industry?"

"What do you look for in a job candidate?"
"How should one dress for a job interview in the advertising industry?"
"How should one prepare for an interview in the advertising industry?"
"What does a marketing or advertising graduate need to know?"
"How important is a candidate's work experience and education?"

How it's done

Recruiters seldom get to see the "making of" someone's book. Occasionally, a creative will include their initial sketches or comps to illustrate how they got to their final idea. But that's only occasionally.

I find it fascinating to see how ideas are created. Did you ever see the making of the Sony Bravia Play Doh spot? THAT, my friends, is too cool.

This video by one of my new found juniors, Santiago Cosme (of pilgrimagetocrispin fame), is equally as cool. He shows the creation of one of his ads. I'm loving it because I never get to see how someone comes up with something, I only see it when it is done. It's a great peek into creativity.

Have a look.

BLUENOTE - We don't sell music. We sell souls. from santiago cosme on Vimeo.

Making me smile

I want to be 20 again. I mean really, wasn't there so much more freedom at that age? Or so I thought at the time. I want to be 20 again so that I can Sharpie my intentions on a cardboard sign and hitch my way through a life-changing road trip.

That's exactly what Santiago Cosme and Victor Blanco, two ad students, have done. This kind of stuff gives me the hugest smile. I'm tempted to put in for a quick vacation and meet up with them in Dayton. Check out their site and help them out. Or at the very least cheer them on. Guts, determination and a streak of wildness are all things this world could use a bit more of.

"Hi everyone. This is Santiago Cosme and Victor Blanco, two advertising students who have just landed in NY to follow a dream: to make it to Colorado, home of Crispin Porter.

For us, Crispin Porter is the Mecca of creativity, and as men of faith we have decided to set up on a pilgrimage to prove our devotion.

As exemplary students, we are skint, we don’t own a car and we have very little underwear, but we have a dream and hope that just like every pilgrim, we will find big-hearted people to help us. Any food: a burger, a banana, even dog food; any transport: car, rickshaw or a donkey; any place to sleep, with or without a roof, will be the kind of help we need to make those 3200 kms seem short.

So please, follow us and check where we are at any moment, because only with your help, will we reach the end of this road called dream.

Thanks. See you on the road.

Santi and Victor.