Know Ad Connect

Who doesn’t love music? We all like some kind of music and some music that we do like  is even questionable for being music … sounding more like a bunch of people yelling than it is music. But that’s not my point. My point actually relates to video and a theme that I have come to see over time. Music makes a video, movie or commercial.

So lets think of a couple examples … the UofM Hospital commercial “leaders in best” or think about the movie Rudy and that soundtrack. It’s not just the great film making or production but it’s also about music choice. The xylophones that sound at the beginning of that UofM spot make you think every time about how that hospital saves lives … or the music that reminds you about Rudy’s one sack at the end of the movie.

Don’t underestimate the power of music when editing a piece … and don’t just pick the cheapest music because you already own it or it’s royalty free. Take the time. Listen too a few and then pick what makes sense or what makes you move.

But like always … bad production is bad production. So make sure you start with something good because even the best music can’t save bad production.

Art directors and graphic designers, same difference, right? Wrong. Well kind of wrong. The much-disputed topic has been debated by many for quite some time. At first glance, these two positions seem to have a lot in common. They both must communicate a message visually but their subtle differences are what set them apart. If you’re seeking a position in the advertising industry or just wish to know more about these positions, this information will benefit you.

Let’s start with the art director. The obvious role of this position is to direct art. In other words, they are responsible for managing an agency’s creative team as well as interacting with the account department to achieve a common vision. The AD is responsible for leading the creative campaign and guiding it in the appropriate direction. They must have a clear understanding of the campaign’s end result throughout the entire creative process. Advertising, in short, is simply providing creative solutions to a client’s business problems. In order to solve these problems an AD must be able to conceptualize an idea to both provide a solution and satisfy the client. Not everybody has the ability to produce revolutionary creative concepts on a regular basis. This is both an innate and learned skill which can take years to master. Advertising is a learned art form similar to any other profession.

Now let’s approach the role of the graphic designer. A designer will spend much more time alone or with few other people than an AD will. They are responsible for developing all of the design work for each individual project in a creative campaign. This includes everything from choosing fonts, colors, layouts, audio, photographs and various other intricacies. It is a tedious job in which every detail must be examined. Obvious computer and design program skills are necessary for a designer to be effective. Client interaction and presentation skills are important but minimal in comparison to an AD. Similar to the AD, the skills necessary to become a successful designer are learned. An exceptional amount of time is spent learning each design program needed to produce successful work.

Some might say that an AD can do everything a designer can do and vice versa. This is true in some circumstances, depending on the size and specific needs of an agency as well as if the individual is self employed or involved in freelancing. Both professions share many of the same abilities, but the depth of knowledge for each of those abilities is what makes them unique. You wouldn’t send a first-year medical student into heart surgery, so you don’t want your brother’s kid who designed a website once to direct your entire creative campaign. This may be the biggest difference between the AD and designer. The AD focuses on creating the concepts for a design and the designer focuses on creating the designs for the concept.

“Just throw the logo on the picture and it’s done, right?” That’s what some clients say. If it were that easy we would have no work to do. We would be out of jobs. There would be no reason that every person in the world wouldn’t be their own advertising manager and creative director. Is it that easy? No. Do people still try to do it themselves anyway? Yes. The ideas that are developed are not just logos placed on photos … they are thoughts that are created out of thin air.

As a creative director, there are tons of hours — sometimes spent on a walk or while eating dinner — that are spent trying to figure it all out. Figure out if the type face is the right choice, if the images should be black and white or if the copy should justify left or right. Some may think that this is just craziness, but it’s really what separates the men from the boys. It’s really what gives an idea its value.

There are many designers out there who can design the greatest shapes and looks … but what is the purpose of that design? What is the idea? Many of them have none. It takes guidance and thought to figure out why the design is the way it is and how it will be used.

So next time your creative director says “give me a day or two,” realize that the time is truly needed to do the job correctly. He’s not just putting it off.