Thursday, May 28, 2009

Doing Partner Work for Clients

I got to work on an amazing brand last week, sorry can't say who. They do a lot of cool work, they have their own identity and ideology. 

They are not a client of my agency. They are a partner of one of our clients. They are good partners, but their styles are mutually exclusive, so I had to write a print ad, a banner ad, and a poster in their voice, our art director had to lay it out in their style, and then our client got to slap their logo in the bottom LEFT hand corner lol.

If it runs, it will be a piece I put in my book because it shows a different voice than the work I do for Disney and Aircell, plus they lines kind of kick ass (not to brag or anything).

So why am I telling you this, oh future Ad Stars.

Because you spend your entire time in portfolio school making ads for a specific client, with a specific voice, a specific style, and a specific problem you're solving.

In the real world you'll make ads for a client that must include their partners, merge their voices, merge their style, and merge their problems into one cohesive message.

So think about that next time you see an ad in a magazine or a banner ad that is done with partner clients. Think how you would have done it so that both partners feel satisfied with the work, and you'd feel proud of the work. Because when you got to work, that's the type of things a junior works on lol. (lets see if I can say work anymore times. work, work, work,)

That's it for now.

PJL

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Aftermath

Yesterday was the first day back after layoffs. 

If you've ever wondered what it would be like if they showed the day after a zombie outbreak movie ends, walk into an ad agency the day after layoffs.

Life has to go on. It's a cliche, I know, but it's the truth. 

Awesome work still needs to get done for the clients, but you can't help but cringe every time you walk by a desk that used to be filled with a friend or a colleague.

However, the best remedy for the post-layoff blahs, is to do great work for a client that is excited about it. My partner and I have a campaign for our client and the client is even increasing the budget to do more tactics based on the concept.

Things will get better and we'll rebound, until then I'll be on the lookout for zombies.

PJL

Friday, May 15, 2009

Officially Initiated Into the Business

I went through my first round of layoffs this morning.

More than 20 people of varying skill and talent were let go.

I was not among them.

But a good friend whom I owe a lot of the start of my career too was.

You know who you are, if there is anything I can do you know my #.

This is one of those times Advertising reminds you that its still a job.

Regardless of how fun it is.


Friday, May 1, 2009

A twitter experiment

Most tweets I have seen thus far are stupid.

That's not entirely true.

Their vain, irrelevant and stupid. 

There are some exceptions (wife included) but for the most part they are Facebook updates on crack written by someone smoking meth.

But I am intrigued, because clients are demanding social media and I want to be able to use if if it comes to it.

So I'm experimenting. My goal is to provide you with 3 insightful Tweets a day. Maybe more, but certainly no less. 

Who knows, maybe you'll enjoy reading observations about the world, other than the fact that someone haz cheezborger.

account: @engagebrain1st

PJL