Breaking In

If you missed it, check out some great work from Jon Bunning.

WS: What do you look for in a student book? And what impresses you?

JB: Big thinking. Simple execution. And anything that doesn’t look like an “ad.” The average consumer is barraged with communication overload much like the average creative director is barraged with portfolio overload. You gotta stand out in the clutter.

WS: How important is finish? If ideas are the most important thing, can sketches be enough? Do you look at physical books anymore, or is it all websites?

JB: A great idea is a great idea no matter what it looks like. But in this day and age, with all the resources available, bringing an idea to life is much more possible. So it’s hard to be impressed by anything that doesn’t look polished. You probably should have a book and a website. Everyone is looking for some kind of digital/interactive ability, so you can’t ignore it. Some creative directors still like to hold a tangible book in their hands. Whatever you do, make your work easy to look at.

WS: How important is writing? Do you need to see long copy?

JB: Whether you’re a writer or not, you need to be able to write well. We’re in the business of communicating. It doesn’t matter how you show it, just show that you can write.

WS: What do you think of showing work that is not advertising? Things like art, journal writing, photography, hobbies, etc.

JB: If it’s interesting and relevant, show it. Personally, I think a book of ads is boring. Some creative directors would disagree. Treat your book like it’s an experience. There should be treats and surprises along the way. It should blow minds in some parts and crack smiles in others.

WS: Do you have any other advice for a student or junior trying to get into the business, either in putting together a book or how to actually start looking for jobs?

JB: Don’t over-think your book. Make something that excites you—it will make you more passionate when you share it. It’s your body of work. If you don’t love it, don’t show it. Don’t tailor your book to what you think people will like. You’re trying to find a place that will let you make the work that you want to make. If someone doesn’t like your work, you probably don’t want to work there.

Check out some great work from Jon Bunning, freelance art director in New York.

MINI

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In case you missed it, check out some great work from Fabian & Ida.

Fabian Berglund & Ida Gronblom were interviewed at Wieden+Kennedy London.

FB: …a lot of students have books full of ads with smart visuals or fun copy, but they haven’t thought about why they made the ads. What’s the problem they are trying to solve? And is an ad the best way to solve that problem? The issue with a lot of student books is that they’ve made a lot of ads without a brief, without a real problem to solve. 

IG: A lot of students just go, “Okay, we’re going to create a campaign for like…”

FB: American Express… 

IG: Yeah, American Express, and they end up doing advertising for a credit card, not American Express. You could just swap the product, you know? It could be any card, really. That happens a lot. We tell them to do your research, try to figure out the tone of voice of the brand, what makes it different from other brands doing the same thing. Is there anything you can dig up from the brand’s history? What do people associate with this brand? I think this is something that, as a student, you’re not that used to doing because you are looking for quick fixes. You get an assignment and then it’s more fun to hang out with your mates and then, all of a sudden, you need to deliver it tomorrow so you go with an idea without having analyzed it enough. But what you really need to do is to get under the skin of the brand. This is the main feedback we give to students about their books. And when some students already think this way, then it’s like, “Wow! These guys are great!” 

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Check out some great work from Fabian Berglund & Ida Gronblom of Wieden+Kennedy New York and formerly of R/GA and Wieden+Kennedy London.

Honda – Hondamentalism

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If you missed it, check out some of Hemant Jain’s work here.

WS: What do you look for in a student book? And what impresses you?

HJ: I think to say I look for fresh ideas would be a cliché. I look for will power, you know? It’s just so many people…many students who come and say that well, we haven’t had the opportunity to do this or, we haven’t ever had any exposure to advertising or whatever. I don’t really see the merit in that because if you were driven you would produce ideas no matter what. And they don’t have to be ads but they need to be ideas, and they need to be executed. They need to be produced, “I’ve done this, I have done this, I’ve done that,” you know? I don’t want to listen to the odds you’ve faced, I want to see what you’ve done because that’s how I pretty much started. Nobody was giving me an opportunity to work in an agency, and whenever you go to an agency they say, “So what have you done?” And it’s ridiculous because until the time you’re in an agency, you can’t do ads. But what happens to all those twenty years, twenty-five years, twenty-seven years that you spent before joining advertising? What have you got to show for that? Some three poems, four stories, that’s never going to cut it because there are young students who are fifteen years old or seventeen years old or eighteen years old that make fabulous work and [are] producing ideas. Especially in these times where the opportunities and the exposure and the kind of outlets are far too many. You know, you could pretty much make a YouTube video. You don’t have to have experience of being a traditional setup to produce that. You just need a fucking mobile phone camera for all you care, and you can do your film. And in these times, if you’re telling me that you haven’t got the opportunity…sorry, there’s somebody more driven than you because talent is one thing, drive is another. A combination of both is what is going to make you successful.

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Hemant Anant Jain is Creative Director at Albion, London.

Nokia Navigator

Midland Bookshop – “Lord of the Rings”

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In case you missed yesterday’s post, check out some of Mike Lear’s work here.

WS: What do you look for in a student what impresses you?

ML: Great, simple thinking. In many different forms of media. I still see a lot of books that consist of print campaigns blown out into other media. And that’s not what I mean. That just tells me they don’t get it yet. I want to see great ideas, that are totally media agnostic. Maybe it’s an idea of how to use Twitter in a way I’ve never seen. Or…well, just lots of digital. I personally think all ideas should lead with digital, and there might be posters and traditional stuff that support it. But never the other way around. And students: Please, please, please stop trying to do TV. It’s never good. Ever.

WS: How important is finish? If ideas are the most important thing, can sketches be enough? Do you look at actual books anymore, or is it all websites?

ML: We never look at actual books here anymore. PDFs are how it starts, or websites. I don’t remember the last time I saw a physical book. And the finish question…yeah, that’s an important one. Some people, and schools, think finish isn’t as important anymore because the thinking and the ideas are what we are paid for. “We can find anyone to build it how we want it,” they say. Not so fast…I think you have to have both. And what’s wrong with that? But ideas are the most important thing. I would rather see a sketch of something killer over a gorgeous piece of dumb. But the idea of, “I’ll figure out my craft later,” no way. You would be dead here. We need people who can hit the ground running.

WS: How important is copy? Do you need to see long-copy ads?

ML: All I want is some sense of voice from a writer. Maybe it’s long copy, but maybe it’s just a few lines on a website that are lovely. But in my opinion, gone are the days of the mandatory long-copy campaign. Prove to me you can write well. That’s it.

WS: What do you think of showing work that is not advertising? Things like art, journal writing, photography, hobbies, etc.

ML: As long as they’re ideas. Journal writing: I don’t think so. Photography: eh, maybe. But I am going to hire you because I see thinking that I wish I did. That’s it. That’s my meter. When I see a campaign that makes something inside me just a little sick, a little green…that’s what I want. Sometimes I see a campaign that I just go, “Ugh…dammit.” And that’s it. You have me. So, no, I don’t care if they’re ads. The ultimate example is Banksy. He’s an artist, sure. But what makes him different is he is conceptual. His ideas are sickeningly great and tight.

Here is some of his work. Enjoy!

Mentos

Google

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If you missed yesterday’s post, check out some great work from Tiffany Rolfe.

WS: What do you look for in a student book? And what impresses you?

TR: Originality and work that makes me wish I’d done it. Something totally unexpected.

WS: How important is finish? Can sketches be enough? Do you look at actual hard-copy books anymore, or is it all websites?

TR: Execution is part of the idea. Everything can be executed in a million different ways, so it’s an important part of the idea. A sketch will never give you the same feeling as a finished piece. Even a sketch is a type of execution so it can affect meaning. I mostly look at websites, but I still enjoy a good paper book.

I think it’s more than that though. It’s crafting. And some websites can still feel like craft went into them. So how you put it together, whatever medium, is important.

WS: How important is copy? Do you need to see long-copy ads? 

TR: I like seeing copy for sure. But it doesn’t have to be an ad. It can be a story or a blog or a love note. Whatever shows you love to write.

WS: What do you think of showing work that is not advertising?

TR: Yes. As long as it’s great and shows your creativity and passion.

WS: Do you have any other advice for a student or junior trying to get into the business?

TR: Become a fan of good work early on. Understand it and why you love it. Find places that are doing that type of work. And then, when you are ready to find a job, you’ll know the type of place you want to go. It will also help you understand the kind of work you want to be doing. Find inspiration in things outside of advertising so you can bring a fresh perspective to things.

Tiffany Rolfe is Partner & Chief Content Officer at Co: collective, New York.

Mini – “Counterfeit Minis”

American Legacy Foundation – “Replacement Smokers”

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