Is the Advertising World Still ‘Mad’ with Creativity?
If you asked me two years ago why I chose to pursue a marketing degree, I probably would have given you a negative answer fed with a few traces of sarcasm. After graduating from college, I spent many days searching for jobs I had zero interest in, halfheartedly revising cover letters and graciously responding to rejection emails. I began to wonder if I had lost interest in the one area that I spent four years of my life trying to learn so much about.
Then I was introduced to Don Draper…
From the opening scene of the first episode of Mad Men, I was intrigued by the Lucky Strike-smoking, Jameson Whiskey-drinking (notice the product placements) main character played by St. Louis native Jon Hamm. The hit AMC television show depicts life at a fictional New York ad agency in the 1960s, focusing on the mysterious and talented executive, Don Draper.
The wonderfully written drama engulfs the audience by taking you deep into the creative mind of Draper. The charismatic executive builds trust with clients, motivates employees to produce better work and doesn’t hesitate to voice his opinion when he doesn’t like an idea. He’s also a creative genius wise beyond his years, concocting innovative ways to connect brands to their audiences. Yes, it may be hard to believe in today’s digital world, but advertising agencies existed long before web design, social media, Internet and even computers.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m an avid fan of everything Apple, any website with cool navigation and I can’t go a day an hour without checking Facebook or Twitter. But why do we rely so heavily on these tools for creation, and often forget about the best tool of all – ourselves? Don Draper struggles to use a typewriter (this is his typewriter). Instead, he uses vision, wit and innovative thinking to win over clients.
Has creativity taken a back seat to new methods and technologies? It seems as though agencies today focus more on building large client bases and less on creativity. Account executives, copywriters, designers and developers are forced to spread their talents as thin as possible, sacrificing quality for quantity.
Has creativity lost its luster? Are creative firms satisfied with the notion that producing work that lacks in creativity is acceptable? Building a strong client base and designing eye-catching pieces are key in building a successful firm, but creativity shouldn’t be sacrificed to achieve success.
Six weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to come on board as an Account Executive Intern at Atomicdust. During the hiring process, they didn’t focus on my educational background or previous positions, but rather my creativity. Every member of the team, from account manager to developer, comes to work each day, passionate about being more inspired, talented and clever than the day before.
It’s truly amazing to see that no matter how often marketing strategy and technology has changed over the past half century, a creative mind is more valuable than ever.
If you’re in need of creative inspiration or just want to check out a great show, tune in to Mad Men on AMC, Sundays at 10/9c.
Jordan Jenkel is the newest member of the Atomicdust team, joining us as an Account Executive Intern. But don’t ask him to make coffee… he’s not very good at it.
