2. Ad man Tom Monahan once remarked ‘Advertising is the rock-n-roll of How a Creative
the business world’. The creative department of an ad agency thinks, Department Works
acts and even smells like a Rock Band. They are often perceived to be
brash, arrogant, erratic and almost every other offensive adjective in Once the creative guys are handed
the English dictionary. Truth be told, it’s only because they are visibly over the creative brief and the
obsessed with their work. deadline, they spend most of their
time bothering about neither.
Their disregard for the brief is
L R abundant, yet they do consider it
sacrosanct. Keeping the brief in
mind, the team then decides the
The Copy Team The Art Team
best way in which the client
Their job is to simply and Popular opinion is that they form
the support staff to the copy should say what he wants to know
interestingly convey the brand with
team. But the fact is that they about his brand. They provide the
words, an image or maybe even a
blank page. Let’s suppose the are both equally indispensable. product/service with a face, a
client wants to say that his product They give the creative idea a feeling, an emotion, and bring it
“smells the best”. The copywriter definite form. If copy is about to life. Probable creative routes
would put it as, “It smells like the the words, art is the pictures. are explored and then discussed
earth after the first rain”, or a can Simply put, if the copywriter is with the planning team for
of glue or whatever that might the singer who carries a song on feasibility. Following that, the
tickle his fancy. The headline, his voice, the art team is the best routes are short-listed. The
baseline and body copy of an ad is music; without which the song work is then broken down between
their area of expertise. can often be quite empty. the copy and art teams.
2
3. The Drummer The Head-Banging
(The Group Head) Lead Guitarist The Music Director
He’s like the drummer who (The Art Director) Bass Guitarist (Production Team)
nobody remembers, but his Not big on words, but he is (The Senior Copywriter) They come in when the radio
beat holds the song together. responsible for making an ad The pretty boy of the band with star wants to go on TV; cut a
Just as talented as the look good. Just like the lots of spunk. The liveliest of music video. In other words,
Creative Director, only not as long-haired head-banging the lot, just a little a television commercial. As
good at holding centre stage. guitarist, that makes the band inexperienced. After the long as it’s a print ad, the
He is responsible for taking look oh-so-cool. He is the guy headline and the baseline, he is copy, art and studio teams
The Lead Singer
the idea to the ends of its that decides the visuals and the body copy. Mostly in the can handle everything, but
(The Creative Director)
possibilities and ironing out the layouts in a print ad background, but can when it comes to television
He is the star of the agency.
the creases. He manages a campaign and the props, sets, occasionally carry a good solo. you need a completely
He runs the show, so to say.
skilled team of copywriters look and feel of a TVC. Usually a trainee’s best friend. different set of skills. Like
He is responsible for conjuring
and art supervisors. making actors act. That’s the
up the ‘Big Idea’, the creative
production teams speciality,
breakthrough. Once that’s in
From buying props, to getting
order, he teams up with the
actors, to costumes, lights,
art director to figure out the Back up vocals
cameras, action and pack-up,
best way to execute that idea. (Trainees)
everything is done by them.
Next to the client, he is the The art and copy trainees.
one best aware and most They’re always big in number,
obsessed with the brand. usually 3-4 in a mid-sized
agency, to 10-12 in a big
agency. Always on the far side
of the stage and rarely warrant
even a mention in the credits.
They get the most challenging
work, to come up with
interesting solutions for
uninteresting projects like
brochures, flyers, posters, etc.
3
4. THE CA
MP
On the rare occasions that
this dysfunctional unit
manages to get some work
AIGN
done, the result is a harmony Curtains
that can hold the imagination Although, the creative team is
of the world. often considered the spine of
Their music is the ad the agency, they're by no
campaign. And if they get it means the end all and be all.
right, it can register sales Just like songwriters, stage
bigger than any #1 in all of managers, musicians, editors
music's history. and other specialists work
together to bring the whole
But of course as there are experience to an audience,
hits, there are flops. every person associated with
Regardless, these rock stars of an advertising agency is
the business world ferry forth evenly responsible for the
with unabashed arrogance. final show.
Advertising Agencies Association of India
35, Maker Tower 'F', 3rd Floor, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400 005.
Tel: (022) 2218 2164 / 2218 7609 Fax: (022) 2218 9590 Email: aaai@vsnl.com
www.aaaindia.org
