Breaking In

Check out some great work from Richard Bullock.

WS: Do you care if a book is full of sketches, or do you like to see finished, comped-up work?

RB: Historically, a lot of people go around saying, “Oh, we should just do sketches and that should be fine,” but the reality is that times have changed and if somebody has an ability to use the tools that we have now, a computer, a Mac, to do things up, if you have those skills you should demonstrate them. Because putting things down in a nice way is what clients kind of look for now. It’s like saying, “Boy wasn’t it nice when we could write beautifully with quill pens”; it’s just not the reality anymore for clients. And if somebody has also collaborated with an art director, and you’ve seen that come out through the work, then the more the student can hit the ground running and have those skills, the more valuable they are to the company.

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WS: Do you think it’s important to include things that aren’t ads in a book?

RB: Yeah, I think it’s really, really important. I think if people have anything that they do on the side, or if they’re into designing their own T-shirts, or they’ve written a short story, or they’re into illustrations and drawings or sketchbooks or photography, anything that shows their way, that they observe the world and their interpretation of it, is valuable. It shows that the person is a natural creative. And what we look for a lot is that advertising is one way of being creative in business. But there’s a lot of ways of being creative. And the best creatives are the ones who, if they get advertising taken away, then they’ll start fashioning a freaking birdhouse or something because they just have to be creative.

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Richard Bullock is a director with Hungry Man and former ECD at 180 Amsterdam.

Adidas – “Laila Ali”

Adidas – “The Long Run”

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Check out some great work from Jamie Barrett.

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

JB: I look for at least one piece of work that is undeniably great. I think a lot of students make the mistake of putting together a solid, smart, A-minus book but don’t have the one thing that separates them from the pack. Whoever I hire, I want to feel they have potential to do something genius, not just the potential to do good, smart work. Life is short, and it doesn’t reward singles hitters.

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?

JB: Sketches are enough, generally. If it’s a predominantly visual idea, then obviously, it’d be nice to see it more fully realized. But it’s not critical. On a day-to-day basis, creatives don’t come in with “finished” ideas. So creative directors are more than used to evaluating work that is “unfinished.” We often use reference, though, and that could be a good thing for students to consider…including visual references for some of their concepts. But generally, I’d much rather hire a diamond in the rough than a polished turd.

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Jamie Barrett is Partner & Creative Director at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco.

Nike

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Check out some great work from Andrew Keller.

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

AK: Attitude. Are they going for it? Or are they lazy? Are they doing all the same things everyone else is doing? Have they invented anything? Is the work interactive and engaging or is it just two-dimensional?

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?

AK: If you are an art director you have to be able to design. I’m over “idea people” that don’t possess manual skills of any kind. Sketches may indicate laziness or lack of passion. If you love it, why not make it? I like some sort of physicality still in a portfolio, mainly because the alternative puts the burden on me to seek out and manage the presentation, and I don’t have time for that.

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

AK: I don’t have to see it, but if I did and it was good, I would hire that person. The question is, why are you a writer if you don’t write?

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

AK: It’s fine and can show true skills as long as the person is truly passionate about advertising. I’m not a fan of people who do advertising while they are waiting to do their real passion.

WS: Do you have any other advice for a student or junior?

AK: There is no lack of jobs, only lack of skills. Cultivate a passion for everything. Learn digital.

Burger King – “Subservient Chicken”

Burger King – “Whopper Sacrifice” Case Study

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Check out some great work from Steve Yee.

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

SY: The thing that impresses me is strong thinking. It’s the answer any creative director will say. I see lots of books that show off how funny or how clever a creative can be, which is good. But the thing that I also look for is maturity. Show me you can think beyond a funny headline and attach it to a bigger thought that makes me think the product is cool.

WS: Can someone get a job with a book of sketches these days, or does it need to be finished work?

SY: A good idea is a good idea, so, yeah, I think a person can, but that idea better be amazing. With everything going multimedia however, a sketch may not be enough, particularly for art directors. I have to see your ability to design to properly measure you.

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Universal Studios

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Check out some great work from Eric Baldwin.

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

EB: I look for thinking that is surprising and fresh. I look for things I wish I would have thought of. Since I am an art director with a graphic design background, I place a lot of importance on an art director’s design skills. Not only does the idea have to be surprising when it comes to an art director’s book, the design and layout are judged under the same lens.

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

EB: If you’re a writer, it’s really important. If you’re an art director, as long as the ideas are great, and the execution is fresh, surprising, and beautiful, I can let the writing slide. That said, I feel really good art directors should be able to write. Personally, I don’t really need to see long copy in an ad book. But if you wrote a novel, you might want to mention that.

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Eric Baldwin is Creative Director at Wieden+Kennedy, Portland.

Levi’s

Career Builder

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