Showing posts with label minibook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label minibook. Show all posts
Bogusky on student books
David sent us a link to Justin TV where Alex Bogusky talks about some of the things that make a good student portfolio. Very good stuff.
Watch live video from FearLess Q+A on Justin.tv
The Fourth Box
A friend of mine who works for a great agency sent me this picture. It's how they sort the minibooks they receive.
If you click to enlarge, you'll notice the three categories from right to left are COPYWRITERS, ART DIRECTORS, and THINK OF CAREER CHANGE. Granted, that's pretty harsh. But as my friend pointed out, "I couldn't believe how many of them were bad!"
So how do you avoid falling into that third box? Here's my advice:
Don't even worry about it. Chances are, your book is already better than 100% of them. What you need to be concerned with is being better than all the other books in the COPYWRITER and ART DIRECTOR slots. If this agency's hiring at all, it's probably for one team. Maybe two. That's still a lot of books being sent home.
There's a fourth box this picture doesn't show. The fourth box is your book sitting on the hiring creative director's desk and being shown around the agency.
What are you doing to make sure your book is in the Fourth Box?
Portfolio Night 7
ihaveanidea.org is hosting Portfolio Night 7.
June 11, 2009.
I can't stress enough how important it is that portfolio school students attend this.
Why?
June 11, 2009.
I can't stress enough how important it is that portfolio school students attend this.
Why?
- You get a huge amount of feedback in a small amount of time.
- The feedback you receive is from some of the top talent in the industry, no matter the city you're participating in.
- It's face time with the people you want to work for.
- It's an opportunity to make an impression. Mike Shine was the very first person to review my student book at PN's predecessor the One Club Student Exhibition. Six years later, when I interviewed with him, I still had one student campaign in my book. He said, "Oh, yeah! I remember these!" (Probably helped that I sent a thank you card with the campaign in them.)
- It's a really fun night. I can't speak for the other cities, but last year DDB Chicago had hors d'oeuvres and Guitar Hero while you were waiting for a review. So much better than sitting on your couch watching Friends reruns.
On-line portfolios
Do you need to have a slick site to show off your work. Not necessarily. But done correctly, it could help you stand out.
If you're putting together your book online, here is an article from Smashing Magazine you may find interesting.
Strategy in your book
Q: Should strategy statements accompany the ads in your book?
A former student recently asked my opinion on this. Let me share it with you:
As creatives, we should be in the habit of eliminating any element that’s not contributing to the ad. I think this includes strategy statements in your book. No, they’re not part of the ad. But in the book, they are part of the presentation. And like a poorly art directed tagline, it’s one more thing drawing the viewer’s attention away from your work.
The argument for including a strategy statement might be to better familiarize the viewer with the brand. But you don’t see strategy statements in the One Show or CA annuals, which feature tons of great ads for brands I’ve never heard of.
Yes, there will be some exceptions. Ambient media sometimes warrants an explanation (different than a strategy statement). And on rare occasions, they might emphasize very big, incredibly insightful ideas. Use your best judgement.
But generally speaking, if the person looking at your book isn’t familiar with the brand, your ad should be enough of an introduction. If it’s not, maybe you haven’t done your job.
A former student recently asked my opinion on this. Let me share it with you:
As creatives, we should be in the habit of eliminating any element that’s not contributing to the ad. I think this includes strategy statements in your book. No, they’re not part of the ad. But in the book, they are part of the presentation. And like a poorly art directed tagline, it’s one more thing drawing the viewer’s attention away from your work.
The argument for including a strategy statement might be to better familiarize the viewer with the brand. But you don’t see strategy statements in the One Show or CA annuals, which feature tons of great ads for brands I’ve never heard of.
Yes, there will be some exceptions. Ambient media sometimes warrants an explanation (different than a strategy statement). And on rare occasions, they might emphasize very big, incredibly insightful ideas. Use your best judgement.
But generally speaking, if the person looking at your book isn’t familiar with the brand, your ad should be enough of an introduction. If it’s not, maybe you haven’t done your job.
Presenting Ambient Pieces
A guerilla piece (alternative, ambient, whatever you want to call it) has already become an essential part of any book worth reviewing. And for good reason.
But I see a wide variety of how those pieces are presented in student books. I've seen very good ideas presented very poorly. Some examples of common mistakes would be:
But I see a wide variety of how those pieces are presented in student books. I've seen very good ideas presented very poorly. Some examples of common mistakes would be:
- Overly and needlessly art directed boards.
- Little / no / unclear explanation of what the piece is about.
- Too much explanation of what the idea is about. It needs to be clear, but not belabored.
How Much of You Is Worth Showing?
One of the Makin’ Ads readers recently asked “How much of ‘you’ should be in a book? Should an art director include their paintings and photography or keep it straight ads. Likewise, can copywriters include a couple of short stories or essays they've written?”
This is difficult to answer. It’s very subjective. And depends on how interesting you are.
A recruiter once asked me to send him my work. I didn’t have a web page, so I threw what I had on my .mac account and sent it off. Had I known the recruiter was going to send the link around the agency, I would have cleaned up the site. I was called in for an interview because they liked my portfolio, but also because they liked the photographs and odd family movies that were part of the site. That said, I don’t include those things on my current site.
As a writer, I would never include short stories or essays. They’re just not going to be read. If, however, you’ve been published, it becomes a bit more interesting. But you’ve really got to use your judgment on this. Bolshevik’s won awards for some of his short stories, and I don’t think he includes them in his portfolio.
For art directors, I tend to be a bit more lenient. I’m always more impressed by an art director who includes a photography section on their site or in their book. But that’s because photography is a skill I like to see in an art director. I know one AD who includes images of a gallery exhibit he did in his book. But there’s a difference between an exhibit – which shows some tenacity and organizational skills – and just including some pictures you made in class.
I would make certain that if you choose to include any bonus material that it is clearly set apart from the advertising. And that it’s showcasing a marketable talent and not just an interesting hobby.
This is difficult to answer. It’s very subjective. And depends on how interesting you are.
A recruiter once asked me to send him my work. I didn’t have a web page, so I threw what I had on my .mac account and sent it off. Had I known the recruiter was going to send the link around the agency, I would have cleaned up the site. I was called in for an interview because they liked my portfolio, but also because they liked the photographs and odd family movies that were part of the site. That said, I don’t include those things on my current site.
As a writer, I would never include short stories or essays. They’re just not going to be read. If, however, you’ve been published, it becomes a bit more interesting. But you’ve really got to use your judgment on this. Bolshevik’s won awards for some of his short stories, and I don’t think he includes them in his portfolio.
For art directors, I tend to be a bit more lenient. I’m always more impressed by an art director who includes a photography section on their site or in their book. But that’s because photography is a skill I like to see in an art director. I know one AD who includes images of a gallery exhibit he did in his book. But there’s a difference between an exhibit – which shows some tenacity and organizational skills – and just including some pictures you made in class.
I would make certain that if you choose to include any bonus material that it is clearly set apart from the advertising. And that it’s showcasing a marketable talent and not just an interesting hobby.
Do you suck as much as Yutaka?
Jim and I have repeatedly encouraged simple, well-crafted, non-gimmicky books. We still do.
But have you read about Yutaka Tsujino's site? It's probably too daring for anyone fresh out of school. It also helps that Yutaka's coming from CP+B.
So, yes. If it works, if it's really, really good (and you're not just kidding yourself), you can be like Yutaka and completely suck.
But have you read about Yutaka Tsujino's site? It's probably too daring for anyone fresh out of school. It also helps that Yutaka's coming from CP+B.
So, yes. If it works, if it's really, really good (and you're not just kidding yourself), you can be like Yutaka and completely suck.
Make Your Book Cinematic
I just came back from a conference called "Marketing at the Movies." Whether or not you agree with ads running just before a movie you've paid $9.75 to see, the panelists and speakers made a pretty convincing argument that there will be more and more in-theater promotions in the years ahead. Like it or not. Ads are already online, on your mobile phone, in the airport security bins. In the theater, we're a captive audience. We're an untapped resource. And that's too tempting for most marketers to pass up.
I've never seen a theater-centric campaign in a student book. Or any book for that matter. I'm not talking about doing ads for Iron Man or Crystal Skull. But what would you do if one of your regular clients said, "We've made a deal to advertise inside all Cinemark Theaters." What would you do? (Assuming the partnership made sense.)
Sure, you'd probably do a nice 60-second trailer before the movie. But what would you have in the lobby? Would you do posters? What would the popcorn bags look like? Would there be anything in the popcorn? Would anything happen after the movie? Does it extend to the restrooms? The parking lot? Is there a web component?
A lot of your will be graduating next month. I'm not encouraging you to take a print ad and retrofit it for an AMC lobby. But if you're still working on your book, it's a definite opportunity to do something unique and maybe really smart. And if your book's getting printed and bound, it's something to keep in the back of your mind when you're actually getting paid to come up with ideas.
For a little inspiration, check out Newsbreaker, one of the more interesting pieces showcased at the conference. Crazy technology. But in a book, all you'd have to do is show a comp and a quick sentence explaining what it is and how it works.
I've never seen a theater-centric campaign in a student book. Or any book for that matter. I'm not talking about doing ads for Iron Man or Crystal Skull. But what would you do if one of your regular clients said, "We've made a deal to advertise inside all Cinemark Theaters." What would you do? (Assuming the partnership made sense.)
Sure, you'd probably do a nice 60-second trailer before the movie. But what would you have in the lobby? Would you do posters? What would the popcorn bags look like? Would there be anything in the popcorn? Would anything happen after the movie? Does it extend to the restrooms? The parking lot? Is there a web component?
A lot of your will be graduating next month. I'm not encouraging you to take a print ad and retrofit it for an AMC lobby. But if you're still working on your book, it's a definite opportunity to do something unique and maybe really smart. And if your book's getting printed and bound, it's something to keep in the back of your mind when you're actually getting paid to come up with ideas.
For a little inspiration, check out Newsbreaker, one of the more interesting pieces showcased at the conference. Crazy technology. But in a book, all you'd have to do is show a comp and a quick sentence explaining what it is and how it works.
Throwing Your Minibook Into A Black Hole
When a minibook comes into an agency at the wrong time (i.e. the agency doesn't have that position available), or it's not good enough to get the person a job and not bad enough to get trashed directly, it ends up in a black hole of sorts--a drawer, a pile, a file, a broom closet. At my agency, we have a box.
Today we had agency-wide spring cleaning and I had the pleasure of going through that box to see if there were any books we should hang onto. I thought I'd pass along a few observations to help keep your book from getting tossed directly into the black hole.
A minibook's packaging will not get you a job. What's inside it will get you a job. If you do something "memorable" with your book's packaging, make sure it's not memorable for the wrong reasons. Unfortunately, I see too many students spend 2 years putting their book together and then at the last minute slap some lame joke on the cover. Smart ads are smart ads. Jokes, themes, and gimmicks are very subjective. Don't shoot yourself in the foot before you get to the good stuff.
So, with that in mind, here are a few guidelines:
1) Sloppy is not a good theme. Don't bind your book with corrugated cardboard and duct tape and scrawl your name in sharpie marker across the front. Don't clip all your ads loose into a clipboard. You may intend your garbage bag cover to say "I don't care about my cover because I spent all my time on my phat ads," but what it really says is "I don't care." Really, you're trying to start a career that's all about creating good impressions. Don't blow it with the very first impression you make.
2) If you're going to have a theme, have a reason for it. Thundercats, as big of an impact as they may have had on your early development, is probably not a good theme.
3) Crappy grade-school report covers or $4 photo albums from Wal-Mart are not good things to use for your book. I know it sucks, especially on a student budget, to shell out $150 printing and binding nice, color books. But believe me, once you get a job with a paycheck, you'll be glad you did.
4) Skip the clever sayings and platitudes on your cover. You can't go wrong with your "JOE PENCIL, COPYWRITER."
5) Photos of you doing a funny dance belong on your myspace page, not on your portfolio cover.
6) It's called a minibook because it's smaller than traditional carry-around portfolios. Don't be a wiseguy and make your book the size of a toenail. Get it! It's mini! It's a MINI BOOK! Black hole.
7) Forget everything you learned in your business class about cover letters. I saw one today that STARTED OFF by saying something like "I would be a great asset to your agency because I have a versatile skill set, am dependably task-oriented, and possess a wide range of communication achievement GPA resume blah blah blah." a) Get over yourself. b) Who talks like this? You're not applying to business school. Include a short, sweet note that introduces yourself, says what you're interested in, maybe mentions some of the agency's work that you like (if that's true), and thanks the person for their time.
8) A simple resume with your education, experience, awards if applicable, and contact info should be IN the back of your book (loose ones tend to get lost). A FEW personal details are okay if you want, but this is not the place to try out your comedy monologue. Nowhere on your resume should it say anything as dumb as "good with people."
In the end, a simple, spiral-bound book, printed on a decent printer at a reasonable size (somewhere between 8.5"x11" and 11"x17") with a simple, tasteful cover will say all you need to say. Namely, the work inside speaks for itself.
Interview with Mike Gorz
A brief interview with Mike Gorz, Director of Creative Services at Y&R Chicago.
GRC: What do you tell a student who wants to get a job?
MG: I’d tell them to be smart about it. And by smart, I mean they should send a link or a PDF of their work.
GRC: Not a minibook?
MG: Not a minibook. A minibook is going to get lost or misplaced. Or a creative that I leave it with will lose it or get a burrito smeared on it. It’s so much better and easier to share electronic work with people. And with more people at once. You get some quicker reads. And if they do get the call and they do get the interview, they can bring their book and give us a little deeper dive and really spend some time on each of the ads, and explain things. That’s the time to bring in a book.
GRC: Is it more effective to send a link [to the recruiter] or to an ECD or a creative?
MG: It’s probably advisable to send it to both. Send it to me as the director of creative services, and to maybe a creative.
GRC: And what happens if they send a link and they get radio silence? Should they take that as a rejection, or should they pursue it?
MG: No. A little bit of persistence is always good. It is a busy business, and we don’t always have time to answer every email and talk to every person who calls. But a little polite, efficient persistence is always appreciated. Don’t stalk me.
GRC: What do you tell a student who wants to get a job?
MG: I’d tell them to be smart about it. And by smart, I mean they should send a link or a PDF of their work.
GRC: Not a minibook?
MG: Not a minibook. A minibook is going to get lost or misplaced. Or a creative that I leave it with will lose it or get a burrito smeared on it. It’s so much better and easier to share electronic work with people. And with more people at once. You get some quicker reads. And if they do get the call and they do get the interview, they can bring their book and give us a little deeper dive and really spend some time on each of the ads, and explain things. That’s the time to bring in a book.
GRC: Is it more effective to send a link [to the recruiter] or to an ECD or a creative?
MG: It’s probably advisable to send it to both. Send it to me as the director of creative services, and to maybe a creative.
GRC: And what happens if they send a link and they get radio silence? Should they take that as a rejection, or should they pursue it?
MG: No. A little bit of persistence is always good. It is a busy business, and we don’t always have time to answer every email and talk to every person who calls. But a little polite, efficient persistence is always appreciated. Don’t stalk me.
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