Advertising art directors are responsible for the overall look of advertisements. These might be on the internet, on social media, on TV, in magazines or on posters, for example. They work closely with copywriters to produce creative, eye-catching and effective advertisements.
Also known as:
* Designer (advertising)
Work activities
Advertising art directors are responsible for the appearance and presentation of printed advertising material, internet and interactive advertising and television commercials. They might need to come up with new and creative ideas for different types of advertising, or they might work mainly in one area, for example, advertising on social media sites. This will depend on the type of agency they work for, and on the needs of the client. The creative team of art director and copywriter work from a brief supplied by the client or a strategic planner in their agency. The brief provides information about the product, service or brand that the client wishes to promote, and about the target audience. The art director and copywriter produce a number of possible advertising ideas that include rapidly sketched illustrations known as storyboards or roughs. The rough idea, once approved by the client, is translated by the art director into the final ad. In preparing ads, the creative team think about the content, which includes headlines, slogans, text and illustrations. They also decide on the visual appearance, which is affected by things like the use of space, colour, graphics, typeface (the print style of the letters) and animation.
Although the design needs to be interesting, exciting, appealing or eye-catching, the creative team must remember that its prime purpose is to sell a product or get a message across. Sometimes, art directors produce the graphics themselves, but more often they select and commission suitable artists. This can involve examining portfolios of drawings, photographs, cartoons and graphic designs. Some art directors design a wide range of printed material including posters, leaflets, brochures, packaging and display material. Some art directors work on internet and television commercials. They sometimes select a film director or production company by looking through showreels. They might have to choose actors, actresses and locations as well as music. Art directors attend all production meetings and supervise filming and editing of both film and soundtracks. They might need to work with agencies that provide special effects or computer-generated images and animation.
Personal qualities and skills
As an art director, you will need:
* Creativity and a lively imagination.
* Lots of ideas and the ability to tell visual stories.
* Knowledge of art and popular culture, as a source of inspiration.
* Knowledge of graphic design, IT, photography, print, digital and new media.
* The ability to cope with (and preferably thrive on) pressure.
* Good communication and teamwork skills.
* To be well organised and able to work to very tight deadlines.
* Problem-solving skills.
* Confidence.
* A sense of humour.
* The ability to work to a budget.
* To be observant, with the ability to pay close attention to detail.
Pay and opportunities
The pay rates given below are approximate. Advertising art directors earn in the range of £18,000 - £45,000 a year.
Advertising art directors work a 38-40-hour week, Monday to Friday. However, irregular hours and weekend work are sometimes required, especially as deadlines approach.
Most art directors work for advertising agencies, such as full-service agencies or creative agencies. Some art directors work in the advertising or marketing department of large organisations. Opportunities for advertising art directors occur in towns and cities throughout the UK. However, most opportunities are found in London and the South East where there is a larger concentration of advertising agencies.
There are opportunities for experienced people to work as freelance art directors. Some creative teams start their own agencies.
Where are vacancies advertised?
Vacancies are advertised in local/national newspapers and on industry jobs boards such as Campaign.
Entry routes and training
Most employers will expect you to have had some kind of art and design training, and to submit a strong portfolio of your creative work. Most entrants have either a degree or an HND. There are advertising design and creative advertising courses as well as some graphic design courses that have specialist options in advertising. Some universities run courses that are part of the global Design & Art Direction education network (D&AD). Foundation degrees in art and design subjects are also available. A range of colleges and universities offer courses in marketing and advertising, including in art direction or copywriting at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
Applicants who have completed one or more work placements during their degree usually have a distinct advantage. The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) offer a wide range of courses, some of which can be studied by distance learning.
An apprenticeship is a good route into this career path, with options including:
* Junior advertising creative (level 3 / advanced)
Many art directors begin as designers working in advertising, for example, graphic designers or multimedia designers. However, some large agencies have special recruitment and training schemes for new entrants, often in pairs with copywriters (called creative teams). Creative teams aim to get creative placements in a few different agencies, to build up a portfolio of campaigns and ideas. CIM, IPA and D&AD offer professional development workshops and training courses for art directors and creative teams. Advertising art directors and copywriters can progress to senior creative team positions, handling larger and more prestigious client accounts; some creative teams start their own agencies.
Qualifications
Some people enter a three-year art and design degree directly, and others complete a foundation course first, followed by a degree. Some degrees include a foundation year, making the degree a four-year course.
For entry to an Edexcel (BTEC) foundation diploma in art and design, the usual requirement is:
* One to two A-levels.
* GCSEs at grades 9-4 in three to four other subjects.
For entry to relevant degree, the usual requirement is:
* Two to three A-levels.
* GCSEs at grades 9-4 in 2/3 other subjects.
You may need A levels in art, design and/or media for some relevant degrees. You might also need English GCSE at grades 9-4 and, in some cases, maths.
To get on to an advanced apprenticeship, you will need GCSEs in English and maths. You may be able to complete these alongside your programme if you don’t have them, but you will need to demonstrate outstanding writing potential. To do a higher apprenticeship, you’ll need two A-levels plus GCSEs in English and maths.
Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.
If you don’t have the qualifications needed to enter your chosen degree or HND course, a college or university Access course (for example, Access to Art and Design) could be the way in. These courses are designed for people who have not followed the usual routes into higher education. No formal qualifications are usually needed, but you should check this with individual colleges.
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