Thursday 17 December 2015
From movies like “What Women Want”, “Advertising Rules” and “How to get Ahead in Advertising”, to popular series’ like “Mad Men” and “Two and a Half Men”, the advertising industry has earned itself a bad reputation for being an alcohol-consuming, drug-abusing and sexually ambiguous field to work in. And, apparently, it pays well.
Wait… What?! Where do I sign up?
But all is not as it seems in the land of honey and dreams…
The hours are long and taxing. There are always tight deadlines and, more often than not, you’ll be working late hours and on weekends. There are clients that don’t appreciate your creative thinking, and at times you have to bin your brilliant idea to simply give them what it is they asked for. Working with a creative team of artists can be trying too.
Even just entering the advertising industry can be difficult, since you’re competing against a combined percentage of 75% B.A. or B.Com students in South Africa. Just to get an intern position, you have to prove that you are exceptional, passionate and willing to work hard for next to nothing. Even then, you might not make it.
Then, while you’re trying to make a name for yourself by winning a few awards for creative excellence, you also have to keep up to date with creative and social developments. You have to know what is trending and innovative, while also understanding your target market and how they think… In both traditional and online media.
The advertising industry is also highly affected by the state of the economy: advertising budget is usually the first a company cuts down on during difficult times. This can cause a vigorous up-and-down job market for those in advertising.
However, there are many perks too. The office space and culture is stylish and interesting. Agencies tend to keep things casual and comfortable, allowing for a creative thinking space. There are often fun things around, like game consoles and fridges filled with cold drinks.
The dress code is relaxed and casual - you are only expected to dress up for important meetings and when you see clients. Otherwise, whatever inspires you, goes. You have full reign over your creativity, and thinking in a contemporary, out-the-box way is encouraged all the time. There is no such thing as being weird here.
Yes, late hours are expected. But it can often lead to the best work. Most advertising agencies make it a fun, social occasion, leading to some great work as a result. Besides, your clients - yes, the same ones that requested a 3-day project to be done in one evening - often recognises the effort. Get ready for many “Thank You’s” on the phone.
“Regardless of our quirks, we’re all problem solvers motivated by challenges and the opportunity to influence people. We’ll put in countless hours because we want to put in countless hours. We challenge each other to be better at what we love to do,” says Jarred Leslie, Art Director at Decimal Agency.
Speaking of clients, you get to meet great people with different needs and different knowledge basis. In the advertising world, you will never go home without having learned something new. The variety adds excitement to life and the fast-paced environment appeals to many people. It is definitely not a career that the cliche "same old, same old" would apply to.
Leslie agrees with Michael Geneseo, Client Manager at Pulp+Wire in Portland, USA, “The range of clients and industries we work in, and the fact that every client has a different set of challenges that requires fresh thinking and renewed perspective is pretty awesome. It’s very satisfying being able to implement solutions that help people and promote businesses.”
Advertising agencies also tend to recognise their staff’s work more often than in any other industry. They often celebrate their achievements, and they tend to be rather social with their clients, building good relationships and partnerships. Career growth happens rapidly, and if you work hard, you will definitely be rewarded, unlike other fields where you may wait decades before being promoted.
The field of advertising is changing rapidly, with the use of social media, Internet marketing, and other new technologies that come along. You will know and understand the newest technology before most of the world has an inkling of its usefulness. Advertising requires you to be knowledgeable about everything. From understanding how industrial machines work, to knowing what Kim Kardashian named her new son.
I guess the old cliche of “Work Hard, Play Hard” is most true in this industry. What is most definitely not true is saying that advertising is nothing but a way of trying to convince you to buy something you don’t need.
“Advertising and design, at its best, isn’t about lying to the consumer. It’s about cutting through the noise in order to tell a unique story and ultimately letting the consumer make a decision.”
At Decimal Agency, we are passionate about telling your story. Obstacles, long hours and hard work is seen as part of the process of creating work we are proud of. Always. We don’t conceptualise over 3 martini lunches. We do it as a team to get everybody’s expertise and input in there. We don’t believe in smooth talking. We believe that advertising is about a unique blend of art, science, and narrative, which doesn’t exist in any other field.
Oh, and we do have a pretty cool office space…
