Traditional Creative teams consists of an Art director and a Copy writer, but is that the best way to work, when we leave the traditional media formats and move into the digital landscape? Grapplica’s post on the subject
Being an experieced copywriter/content creative, I feel it a little naive even to discuss the possibility of not having a writer on the team. Take a look around. First time the copywriter´s importance dawned upon me was sometime long ago, watching the credits at the end of a Hollywood movie. The writer was not far from the top while the art directors and designers were far, far towards the end. That is because you have to start almost everything with a written concept, an idea and it must be described so the rest understands what it is all about - you need a common understanding. Then you also have the actual sales copy that should be as persuasive as possible - adapted to the target group, of course. You can sell and tell a lot with words without any design but you can sell and tell very little with design without words. I rest my case.
Copys tend to be good at storytelling, which is important in digital.. Especially if you do transmedia stuff (a story taking place in a lot of channels), the fanfiction twittering that madmen caused could've been even cooler if there was a copywriter to help out writing the story between the episodes. (taking it from fanfiction to a part of the story).
Seriously...it just doesn't matter what you call us..the team is put together for the specific purpose and I guess if you're in the digital area you obviously need some basic understandings more or less for the digital things.
So...everyone has to be some kind of wizard in being able to know little about everything. Then there must be people that have a deeper knowledge for certain areas, whether its art direction, flash development or planning.
I guess my conclusion is, that you need both the AD and the copywriter - and maybe even a third person - but that our debate topic isn't fundamentally enough. Cause how are "they" gonna work, when agencies start to dissolve and more people will be hired in as free agents?
I'm of course not sure that it will happen, but I think we will experience some dramatic changes in the ad industry as we know it today and the definition of the creative teams role in an unknown future is quite difficult.
Bahh... didn't know what to say sorry. Maybe we need to discuss the roles of copywriters, ADs and the Farfar Academy creatives?!
Ok Matthieu...
I've been busy but here it comes. I think something similar to Pontus. Get rid of the copywriter if you don't care about the communication part. In the old world the copywriter used to take on the role as the strategic part of the team. At least the way I see it. I still think you need someone like that, that will ask the questions that needs to be asked. Soo...maybe as he said it's the specific title that has nothing to do in the new era of advertising.
But as we all know Content is king. I rest my case.
Pontus: you're right, i think, but isn't content also applying to graphic designer's job? I see copywriters mostly as storytellers, people who can make a common idea sound exciting, capable of choosing right words, expressions, nuances, rethoric images. And of course is such competence needed even in the "digital age".
Copyrider: I thought we were talking about the core of the team, the traditional couple AD/copywriter... otherwise you'd have to include also the "final arts" designer, the pre-press guys and the printers, the factor and maybe even a couple of consultants or trainees. i don't see specialists like information architect, user interface designer, flash designer, producers and event designers as part of the creative team, but i guess that's just a question of definition. To me, "the creative team" is the smallest group of people that will make choices and generate and illustrate the vision, the strict guidelines that others will work with.
Eskil: Thank you for your interest. One of my assistants will contact you in a near future. Right now we'll just pretend that all recruiting processes are on hold due to financial crisis, strikes and marxist revolutions worldwide. In the meantime, please send your CV folded in a creative way so that it can fly. The CV that flies the longest distance wins a training period and a free subscription to the hilarious monthly letter from swedish Arbetsförmedlingen.
Linda: you HAVE to write something, come on, you used to be a copywriter, for Odin's sake!
Well, I can see why a copywriter feels a bit odd in the digital age if you think that writing is all they do. But since a copywriter is just as much a strategic, idea creator, communicator and a skillfull writer, it makes more sense. I hope. Maybe it´s the term Copywriter that doesn´t fit in the digital world. Why not change it to Content Creative?
If you want the digital piece to be communicative, keep the Copywriter/Content Creative. If not, get rid of all the guys at the creative team and stick to a graphic designer and a flash guru only.
I have no idea about the sexiness, but I thought that was why my co-academist pursued their "creative" dreams, but I guess ego is a bigger driver (not for my co-academist, but in general).
Have to go... 16 minutes to kick off and not enough Doritos and dip. Bad planning.
There's sexiness in being a creative? Think you're confusing sexiness with ego? The model I explained above is based off of how R/GA defines "creative" team.
I'd keep the writer, add in a streetwear hipster and a musician.
Copyrider: I'm not sure about travelling from US to Canada to watch Super Bowl, seems like the wrong thing to do. (And there's only 35 minutes to kick-off, so unless you're really fast, you would miss most of the match.) But drop by some other time ;)
Regarding all the people you added to the creative team; I'm sure you would be able to kill the sexiness of being a "creative" with that approach, but I agree. Swap the copywriter with a cool nerd and we're good to go. :P
No way jose. Once you move out of the traditional space, the "creative team" expands drastically. To the writer/AD partnership, add in an information architect, a user interface designer, a flash designer, graphic designer, etc. Maybe even throw in a producer and editor and whatever outside design place you might wanna go with. Oh ya, planners are sometime considered creative too.
P.s. I should have come to Toronto to watch the Superbowl with you.
Is it really finding the "best" solutions (cheapest, most relevant, innovative with best effects on customer's sales and image)? or is it making stuff that makes your fellow creative people die of jealousy and give you awards? or both? or none of these definitions?
To me, technological aspects have become so central that i can't imagine a good creative team without serious technological knowledge, something not so common i today's (yesterday's?) ad/copy-couples.
So, if i had to answer this thread's main question, i'd say my ideal creative group would have: - nerd-like technological interest - deep understanding of usability, interface design, adaptability, etc. - visual artist competence (motion, 3D, classic, whatever) - a severe cultural background (as broad and deep as possible, not just today's tv pop culture) - human qualities like ambition and humility... would that be 2, 3 people, i don't know. but i don't believe in larger groups.
Also totally essential would be their capacity to communicate/work with a planner. Eventually, i can see the planner being a part of the extended creative team.
If some of you recognize themselves in this description, contact me and i'll hire you. Hahaha.
I will get back to you in that matter Eskil. I would just like to say as a starter to answer your question. No one reads any copy at all, whether its online or offline.
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