Category: creative
The ad agency baseball team analogy – how agencies are really run
There's an analogy I've been tossing around for a few years to just about any ad pro that will listen. And yes, there are exceptions to my little theory so just take it for what it's worth - a little fun. Most large ad agencies are like Major League Baseball…
The General Specific. An ode to generalists everywhere.
It used to be an agency professional was expected to be a generalist in the specifics of marketing and advertising. It was understood that it’s impossible for a creative, AE or media planner to know everything about everything. Sure, you better know media buying, strategy and creative but no one…
Is social media changing the world?
New post at Kilgannon Says: We’re in the midst of some rather transformative times. Especially if you happen to live in the Middle East. Some are crediting Facebook and Twitter as key catalysts that helped to overthrow a 40-year dictatorship in Egypt. This phenomenon has spread throughout the Arab world…
The end of the creative industrial complex
When Arcade Fire took home record of the year Sunday, a lot of people made note that an indie upstart, not associated with a big label was able to write, perform and produce, all by themselves, the best album of the year. Unlike the "Lady," they didn't need the big…
Camera tech for ad creatives. Or why “shoot it on HD” is the wrong answer.
The old moto was "shoot it on 35." And if there were good folks behind the lens, you were virtually ensured a decent negative to make pretty pictures in post production. "Shoot it in HD" has a lot less meaning. In fact, HD is a delivery format and not really…
Why your advertising sucks part 8 – You don’t think it’s advertising anymore
There's been a mass hysteria in the blogosphere for the last couple years. People are claiming that advertising is dead, the world has changed, and the only way to truly communicate a meaningful message to your consumer is to use social media. In this scenario, the forward thinking Social Media…
The long and painful death of the “writer” copywriter
It's not new to complain about the craft of writing being under assault. I'm sure when the printing press was invented monks everywhere were cursing Gutenberg's terrible invention. These days, writers in the ad world are called upon less and less to be simply professional and proficient writers. But I…
Top 10 things about being an advertising copywriter.
More than a few of my posts have been about the difficulties of working in advertising these days. It's always been a competitive industry with high burn out and turn over. But it's been even worse lately thanks to the economy and the rapid change in technology. But there are…
I play utility
If you work as a creative, chances are your job isn't nearly as glamorous as you imagined it would be in portfolio school. Like the kid shooting hoops in the driveway, or practicing his pitching on the mound, you most likely imagined yourself becoming the hero by applying your skills…
The business of Art
When I first started in the ad business I couldn't decide if I was an artist, a craftsman, or a hack. Now I've come to realize that I'm all of those at the same time, maybe even on the same day. It may be a creative business, but business it…
