Art Director
An Art Director – often referred to simply as a ‘Creative’ – is responsible for the concept development / creation of advertising campaigns, with a particular bias to the visual look and feel. Traditionally Art Directors will work closely with Copywriters (who develop the accompanying words/copy), often as a dedicated ‘Creative Team’, to develop full campaign concepts.
It’s worth nothing that the boundaries between Art Director and Copywriter are often blurred and it’s highly likely that both will input in to the visual and copy aspects of the idea.
Agencies expect their Art Directors to be able to conceive and develop campaigns that work across all media channels, which can include everything from TV commercials, to radio ads, outdoor advertising (billboards, bus sides hordings etc.), print adverts, direct mail, digital ads, social media, point of sale and so on.
Art Directors are able to take a creative brief and insight provided by planners and/or account handlers and use this to develop captivating ideas that engage and resonate with the target audience. Working closely with a Copywriter, they ensure that the message is strengthened by combining both visual and copy elements to create maximum impact.
In order to present their ideas both internally to the Creative Director and often directly to clients, Art Directors will produce sketches (often called ‘scamps’) that convey the ad concept. These days it’s also becoming more common for agencies to expect their Art Directors to have a good base level of Mac skills in order to develop rough Mac visuals of their ideas.
Often, Art Directors (and their Copywriter counterpart) will be on-site at shoots (photo or film) to ensure that what’s being captured is aligned to their creative vision.
Art Directors are always highly creative and have a hunger for keeping abreast of all the latest trends in the advertising world. They understand different target audiences, are able to apply creative thinking to business problems and are genuinely fascinated by people, advertising and brands.
Working in a creative team within an agency is always fast paced and most Art Directors will be expected to work on more than one project at once, typically reporting in to a Creative Director.
When interviewing for a new role, Art Directors will always be expected to talk the Creative Director through their portfolio of work, so it’s always important to be keeping this up to date with your best work.
Salary wise outside of London the role generally pays between £21,000 to £65,000 depending on regional variance and level of experience.
London
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