I worked as an Art Director at Leo Burnett for two years, this being my first job. I stumbled upon advertising after design school, it was mighty and you could really let your mind run free and connect any dots in the universe to tell a story. In the two years, my team and I worked on many films for Spotify, crafted billboards, thought of 360+ 360 degree ideas, won and lost pitches and made case studies which I believe is the most scientific form of storytelling.

Here are some of my takeaways from the field that I’d like to remember as I explore new sectors.

THE GOOD

Advertising is the most alive place to be 
As everything stems from culture; culture where something new is popping every now and then, culture of a country so varied and dynamic, culture that comes from the crazy and creative internet, it is a constantly evolving place. Adding a personal lens to the subject or rooting for the narratives you want to see in the world fuels the creative work, and there is no dearth about these two. It makes you sensitive and thoughtful towards everything you do and consume. 

Crafting case studies is like a romantic movie
Sometimes the sweetest love stories are simple but have beautiful nuances to them, they become our favourites, we quote them and aspire to have something like that. Similarly, compiling a case study is like simplifying a huge campaign and adding nodes of awe and surprise, the ones that sweep you off your feet. The directors of romcoms would make excellent case study directors and vice versa. The process of  making a case study is a great lesson in storytelling. It has made me relook at how I tell my story too.

Craftsmanship should never be secondary
With brands there is also a constraint of fonts and colours and in all this craftsmanship and design innovation sometimes loses its way. I was fortunate to be with people who were particular about the graphic design aspect of advertising and also gave room to experiment in and out of the brand rulebooks. When placed outdoors, one could really handpick the advertising that has been crafted vs the ones that have been information plastered.

Advertising People bring diverse culture to the potluck
As someone whose top artist on Spotify has been AR Rahman year after year introduction to quaint English, American, German and Japanese music and movies was quite enlightening. There was hardly a day when I did not expand my playlist or add a movie recommendation list. You could end up having the most absurd or the most interesting conversation over lunch. I have learnt about finance, music band formation stories, video games, dungeons and dragons; become a monodeal pro and a catan noob.

THE NOT SO GOOD

Art Directors need more equal footing
Art Directors somehow always have to justify a seat at the table if at all they get one. Ideas come from everyone equally and are even articulated by everyone at a base level, but as the campaigns progress the art people become the backend staff whereas the writers become the captain of the ship. Even in the newest lot of art directors and copywriters, I see that with the same years of experience, get promoted differently and it continues all the way up.

A way to navigate this very potent and demeaning problem was to write and articulate the idea till the very end, have the dialogues ready and an end line and a name for the idea, it doesn’t solve everything but does make you unmissable. 

There should be a rulebook on referencing
This is something I absolutely detested, not the act of referencing in itself but how that is the very first thing creatives are asked and promoted to do. Great ideas come from the audacity of trying something new. I feel referencing is a good tool to learn and use as a guiding lamppost but that is about it. 

Missing ads in ad houses
I appreciate that ad agencies are turning into a creative business solution model, an ad may not be able to solve the business and the adaptability into digital, acts, installations, initiatives is amazing, but amongst all these options are we losing a simple, delightful ad film? I really miss heartfelt ads with jingles and funny dialogues. Maybe it is overproduction, maybe it is an unrealistic 10 seconds, but I really wish ads could make a comeback. 

We need to stop glorifying graveyards 
Good work is believed to be on the other side of the clock striking 12, as though the night brings the ideas and the moon makes the layouts shine. It gets graver as the award season approaches. Once in a while I do like to pull through the night and work but praising those who have built little homes in the office and blurred the boundaries of personal and professional life was not okay to me. One of my major reasons to look away from a corporate ad agency set up was to prioritise health and personal timelines over deadlines.

I will always remember the lessons learnt at work, be as motivated as a townhall at Burnett makes you feel and always try to learn from culture and give back to it where I go.