Pick Me : Breaking Into Advertising and Staying There

242 Pages·2005·2.26 MB·English

by  Nancy Vonk

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Pick Me
Breaking into Advertising
and Staying There
Nancy Vonk
and
Janet Kestin
John Wiley & Sons,Inc.
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Pick Me
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Adweek and Brandweek Books are designed to present interesting,
insightful books for the general business reader and for professionals in the
worlds of media,marketing,and advertising.
These are innovative, creative books that address the challenges and
opportunities of these industries,written by leaders in the business.Some
of our writers head their own companies,others have worked their way up
to the top of their field in large multinationals.But they share a knowledge
of their craft and a desire to enlighten others.
We hope readers will find these books as helpful and inspiring as
Adweek,Brandweek,and Mediaweekmagazines.
Published
Disruption: Overturning Conventions and Shaking Up the Marketplace, by
Jean-Marie Dru
Under the Radar:Talking to Today’s Cynical Consumer, by Jonathan Bond
and Richard Kirshenbaum
Truth,Lies and Advertising:The Art of Account Planning,by Jon Steel
Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Ads, by Luke
Sullivan
Eating the Big Fish: How Challenger Brands Can Compete Against Brand
Leaders,by Adam Morgan
Warp-Speed Branding:The Impact of Technology on Marketing,by Agnieszka
Winkler
Creative Company: How St. Luke’s Became “the Ad Agency to End All Ad
Agencies,”by Andy Law
Another One Bites the Grass:Making Sense of International Advertising, by
Simon Anholt
Attention! How to Interrupt, Yell, Whisper and Touch Consumers, by Ken
Sacharin
The Peaceable Kingdom: Building a Company without Factionalism,
Fiefdoms,Fear,and Other Staples of Modern Businessby Stan Richards
and David Culp
Getting the Bugs Out: The Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Volkswagen in
America,by David Kiley
The Do-It-Yourself Lobotomy:Open Your Mind to Greater Creative Thinking,
by Tom Monahan
Beyond Disruption: Changing the Rules in the Marketplace by Jean-Marie
Dru
And Now a Few Laughs From Our Sponsor:The Best of Fifty Years of Radio
Commercials,by Larry Oakner
Sixty Trends in Sixty Minutes,by Sam Hill
Leap:A Revolution in Creative Business Strategy,by Bob Schmetterer
Buzz: Harness the Power of Influence and Create Demand, by Marian
Salzman,Ira Matathia,and Ann O’Reilly
Casting For Big Ideas:A New Manifesto for Agency Managers, by Andrew
Jaffe
Life After the 30-Second Spot:Energize Your Brand With Bold Alternatives to
Traditional Advertising,by Joseph Jaffe
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Pick Me
Breaking into Advertising
and Staying There
Nancy Vonk
and
Janet Kestin
John Wiley & Sons,Inc.
ffirs.qxd 7/7/05 11:59 AM Page iv
Copyright © 2005 by Janet Kestin and Nancy Vonk.All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons,Inc.,Hoboken,New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
No part of this publication may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system,or
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used their best efforts in preparing this book,they make no representations or
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ISBN 13-978-0-471-71557-3
ISBN 10-0-471-71557-3
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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To Lily and Devin,who keep it all in perspective
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Contents
Foreword:Rick Boyko xiii
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xvii
Who Wrote This Book:Bob Barrie,Rick Boyko,David Droga,
Mark Fenske,Neil French,Sally Hogshead,Mike Hughes,
Shane Hutton,Janet Kestin,Brian Millar,Tom Monahan,
Chuck Porter,Bob Scarpelli,Chris Staples,Lorraine Tao,
Nancy Vonk xix
Introduction:The View from Down Here:Ignacio Oreamuno 1
PARTI Breaking into Advertising
1 Was I Really Put on This Earth to Do Ads? 5
If you can’t get an internship until after school,how can you
know? / I really enjoy it,but sometimes I want to shoot myself.
What do I do? / Am I talented enough for this industry?
2 School Daze 9
A CD told me my school is a waste of money.Why go to school
at all? / What are great copywriting schools? / Do I need a pricey
portfolio school for “polished”ads? Or would you hire me based
on good,unpolished pieces?
Mark Fenske: It’s all about the osmosis, baby.
3 What’s a Good Ad, Anyway? 15
Is reactionary advertising a good thing? Smart? Stupid? Evil? /
Why do some award-winning ads not really say anything? / Do
ads have to be hilarious to be effective? / Should ads be mostly in
good taste or closer to the edge? / Shouldn’t ads portray good
examples to kids and promote a healthy environment? / What do
you think about sex in advertising?
Brian Millar: How to do great creative work without being
clever or talented.
4 Portfolio Preparation: Like Giving Birth,
Only More Painful 28
I’m the star in most of my ads.Is this a bad thing? / As a writer,
do I need tight comps in my book? / What’s the right number of
ads to have in my book? / What are some products you like seeing
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viii @ Contents
in student books? / How do you feel about “leave-behinds”? /
How do you know when your book’s ready? / How do you make
your portfolio wow an audience? / After two years as an AD,how
much of my book can still be spec? / How many media should I
show in my book? / Do you have to understand an ad right away?
/ Is it best to show all campaigns? / Different CDs like different
ads.Who do I listen to?
Sally Hogshead: Don’t send a fake foot to “get your foot in
the door,” and other things to consider when putting your
portfolio together.
5 Getting a Job in This Lifetime: It Can Be Done 38
Every CD says,“Keep in touch.”Isn’t that BS? / Are Web
portfolios as effective as sending your actual book? / Should you
drop off your book completely unannounced? / How do you look
for a job without your current employer finding out? / What
chance does a junior have at a job in such tough times? / Is it
plausible for a junior team to make a move together? / What are
the best cities for cutting-edge advertising? / Should I hold out for
good job out of school or take anything that moves? / How far is
too far when trying to get a CD’s attention?
How I Got My First Job, by Bob Barrie, Bob Scarpelli, Lorraine
Tao, Nancy Vonk, Shane Hutton, Chris Staples, Janet Kestin,
Mike Hughes, Rick Boyko, and Tom Monahan.
6 Internships: Purgatory, Rip-Off, or Free Education? 59
How do you make the most of an internship? / If I do too many
internships,do I get labeled the cheap labor guy? / Where do you
put internships on your resume? / As an intern,how can I set up
real job interviews when I work all day?
Shane Hutton: How can I exploit thee? Let me count the ways.
7 What Place Is Right for Me? 68
How can I find a nurturing environment instead of a backstabbing
one? / Does your first job determine your career path?
David Droga: My two Australian/Singaporean/English/
American cents/pence.
PARTII You’re the Chosen One. Now What?
8 Money—Not That You Care about That 75
What’s the average salary for a creative director? / When do I ask
for a raise—and how? / Do you think the big CD salaries are jus-
tified? / Does a lack of TV experience affect your value?
Chuck Porter: Money. How much? How soon?