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This section includes ads that I've made significant contributions to over the course of my career.
My Role: Contributions include; developing a creative work plan; creative direction; project management; concepts; resource management; budgeting; copywriting; hands-on design.
Resources: Resources utilized include internal staff, designers, copywriters, external agencies, photographers, models, etc. I've tried to include samples that I'm particularly proud of for one reason or another.
Compromise.
Since the creative process involves so many different parties and opinions, it's rare that you can take your initial concept and see it through to your exact vision. The basic idea is that all of the parties involved have something to offer that will improve the piece.
This philosophy is especially true in corporate America where many companies try to fit into a very conservative role. In order to ensure conservatism, many layers are added to the approval process. That's not to say that this is a bad thing -- this position has faithfully served many organizations for decades. Who am I to argue with success? The flip side of this argument is that sometimes in trying to please everyone, you end up with a final campaign that lacks punch or merely mimics its predecessors.
I Did It My Way.
Many ads and commercials that people recall are the ones that are a little over the top and edgy. Successful, out-of-the-box advertising requires a confident leader who's not afraid to bring new ideas to life even though those ideas may be outside of the industry norm. This method has its obvious ups and downs; You can go out on a limb and receive praise and admiration for a successful campaign; or -- if your concept isn't well received -- you'll look like you don't have a clue about your market or demographics.
Ultimately, the rush of imitators who try to mimic something new and different confirms success. This fact is true whether you're dealing with an ad campaign or a revolutionary, new product. The truth of the matter is that those who are afraid to lead by bold, decisive moves are usually quick to follow. These people take comfort in playing it safe and have no problem imitating what others have found success doing -- though they are extremely uncomfortable being that bold to begin with. If you're a trendsetter, hopefully, you have a good enough head start that the competition is unable to catch up to you.
So Which Technique Works Best? I'm of the belief that advertising serves one of two main purposes; It either builds on an existing brand -- reminding your customer of who you are; or it simply gets the consumer to stop and notice your product.
Generally, it does help to avoid being offensive when using the latter method, but certain brands don't even have to worry about that stigma since their target audience is either impossible to offend or so specific that it doesn't matter who they tick off outside of their buying group. Gene Simmons once said of his band Kiss, "They either love us or they hate us, but no one ignores us". This is clearly a man who feels that any publicity is good publicity. Personally, I've seen both approaches work. The key to success is to ensure that the client is happy with both the results and the path you've chosen to get there.