Lecture One for Portfolio Class. A presentation and resource E-Book for students talking my course Portfolio Development CM 423, Fall 2012, Boston University, College of Communication.
Basic Civil Engineering first year Notes- Chapter 4 Building.pptx
20 Tips for Portfolio Development
1. 2 0
Tips for creating
your first portfolio
Edward Boches
Portfolio Development
Boston University
College of Communication
2. Introduction
Some thoughts on where
the industry is going
Burberry streams live its fashion
Most advertising shows to iPads in stores around
the word. Yet if you’re in this
interrupts a story course, you’re probably thinking
with a less of becoming a copywriter or art
interesting story. director.
Daniel Stein, CEO, EVB True those skills remain
essential, but today it’s
important that you learn to
What a time to start your first create something more
advertising portfolio. What do meaningful than messages.
you put in it when the entire
industry you are about to enter is Ironically, your book will still
changing, evolving from need to convey some traditional
companies that interrupt people creative ideas -- CDs like to see
core concepts, and TV and even Nike FuelBand, from the legendary brand and its agency R/GA, won the Grand Prix at Cannes
with messages they don’t want this year. What is it? A utility? A digital platform? Marketing as service? Advertising? Maybe all
to hear and ideally into print-style storytelling will never of the above.
companies that make things -- go away.
platforms, experiences,
applications, services -- that are But remember that the future
genuinely useful? creative person in any discipline
will know how to invent
R/GA just created Nike Fuel. products, design experiences
CP&B builds things like Epic Mix. and help build digital platforms.
3. Introduction
Why create a portfolio: it’s
not just to get a job
This course is intended to get
you started on a portfolio, both
Exercise your creative muscles with assignments that invite you
to create original, compelling
Replicate the challenges of real world assignments creative, and with a workshop-
like environment in which
Develop tactics, tricks and approaches that work for you students critique and discuss
work, learning from each other
Create benchmarks to exceed and helping each other get
better.
Elevate your personal standards
Over the course of the semester, Ad for The Economist, but a reminder
Get feedback from those who critique your work that you will need both sides of your
you will complete four creative brain to create a great portfolio.
Master your craft (of art direction, design or copywriting) assignments. Each is designed
to guide you through thinking Keep in mind that even after the
Get used to rejection strategically, and then solving a class is over, you will want to
problem or challenge with polish and fine tune the work
Learn to overcome failure creative ideas that leverage you create in this course. You
Realize that it's OK not be great right away different kinds of media and are never done making an idea
technology and that (hopefully) -- whether a traditional ad or a
will enable you to show your new digital platform -- great.
creative thinking without being
dependent on executional
software.
4. Course Objectives
1 Learn to generate creative concepts that solve real problems
2 Practice delivering ideas that are on strategy, on time and on budget
3 Understand how to create across multiple platforms and media channels
4 Learn how you think creatively as an individual, trying different ways of creative
problem solving (word play, mind mapping, asking what if, thinking visually, etc)
5 Develop and elevate personal standards for creative excellence
6 Hone copywriting and/or art direction skills as appropriate
7 Identify ways to stay up on emerging trends and platforms that create new
challenges and opportunities
8 Begin to development personal portfolio of speculative work and ideas to show
prospective employers
5. 1
Know what great work
looks like
Before you can do good work Great work earns your
you have to know good work. attention, deserves to
Take the time to evaluate all be sought out and
the ads, messages, content makes you want to
-- digital and otherwise -- pass it on, sharing the
that you come across. Are goodies with friends
they good? Are they great? and colleagues.
What makes them so?
Learn from the new
More importantly, learn what
emerging companies: Made
the taste makers, CDs and
by Many in London. Big
critics think is good work.
Spaceship in Brooklyn. EVB
Read old annuals, explore
in San Francisco.
the award show galleries,
pore over the sites of the Apple’s 1984 from Chiat Day. Still considered the best Super Bowl spot ever
Develop your taste,
very best agencies --
judgement, and opinion as to
Droga5, CP&B, TBWA/Chiat,
what is great, what is OK,
72 and Sunny, EVB, BBH
what is an insult to the
(London and NY), Wieden
unfortunate consumers who
and Kennedy, Mullen.
have to encounter it.
6. 2
Be honest with yourself
When you are starting out, it’s often easy to think
that any idea that solves the problem is OK.
There’s a tendency to fall in love with all of your
ideas. After all, they are your ideas. But the most
important thing you can do is stay honest.
Don’t try and talk yourself into thinking something
is better than it is. Ask yourself, “Is it
compelling?” “Does anybody care?” “Would it get
into the books?” “Is it truly original?” “Will it make
someone else wish they came up with it?” “Will
people want to share it?”
If not, keep at it.
From Truth campaign, created by CP&B and Arnold
7. 3
Take chances
It’s easy to play it safe. But safe won’t get you to
great. It won’t get your book noticed. It won’t
make CD’s jealous. Remember that this is the
one time in your career when there is no
supervisor, no account guy, no client to tell you,
“We can’t do that.” Or, “We’ll never sell that
idea.” This is the time to be brave. Conceive
ideas that are risky, provocative, attention getting,
eye-opening.
That does not mean be weird or wacky for
wackiness sake. Or to create an idea that’s not “Playing it safe can be the most
old Benetton ad, years before the Obama kissing campaign
aligned with an audience or community. Or that’s dangerous thing in the world, because
off strategy. It does mean you should try things you’re presenting people with an idea
that would make at least some clients and they’ve seen before, and you won’t have
marketers a little bit nervous. impact.” - Bill Bernbach
8. 4
Welcome criticism
It’s a chance to learn. To find out whether or not
your ideas resonate. Are they as good as you
think they are? Have you missed an alternative
approach that might be better? Are there small
changes -- design, language, simplifying -- that
might make them exceptional? Or should you
throw it out and start again. You need to know.
So stay open minded. A partner, a teacher, a CD
a friend could all offer you useful reactions. And
while there are no shortage of jerks in the
business, it’s also possible to find plenty of
talented people willing to look at your work and
give you a constructive criticism. Seek it out and
welcome it. You’ll be better for the effort.
9. 5
Familiarize yourself
with the past
There are three reasons. One, you can’t create
something truly original if you don’t know what’s
been done before. Two, most CD’s will fault you
for conceiving an idea that’s already been in the
market, even if it was years ago. And three, even
as we move into an era when traditional,
message-based advertising is less relevant, the
great, classic ideas and executions from the past
have stood the test of time and offer lessons and
inspiration for us all.
Old Volvo ad from Scali, McCabe, Sloves
10. 6
Master a craft
Advertising today is created by developers, UX
professionals, digital designers, writers, art
directors, animators and film makers. You don’t
need to be in one of those professions to think up
great creative ideas. In an age when everyone is
familiar with media almost anyone can conceive a
clever ad. But eventually you have to execute
those ideas. And even before that you need to
present them beautifully and finished in a book.
Plus it’s likely the job you apply for some day will
have a title -- copywriter, designer, animator, art
director.
So while you may need to have some skills in
every area -- read Teressa Iezzi’s The Idea
Writers -- it would be wise to focus on mastering
at least one discipline. Art directors still have to Jan Vermeer, A Lady Writing
art direct, and writers still have to write.
11. 7
Embrace collaboration
Most great advertising ideas, at least by the time
they are finished, are the work of teams. Good
teams, whether the old fashioned art director/
copywriter, or the more modern teams that also
include developers, experience designers, mobile
and social expertise, even creative strategists
learn to build off of each other’s ideas, to willingly
give credit to others who contribute, realizing that
an iterative process can yield the best outcome.
That’s not to say the autocratic control of Steve
Jobs won’t work, too. But you better be a genius Open space at Made by Many, London. The new creative environment is one of
first. collaboration, real time interaction, and iterative development.
Stephen Johnson, in Where Good Ideas Come
From, reminds us that the best ideas result from
collisions. Create as many as you can, in your
life, in your work, in your creative process.
12. 8
Learn to work fast
There is no patience anymore. Clients want to
see work in days, creative directors in hours. And
while there will be plenty of “hurry up and wait”
situations when the team delivers in real time
only to wait a week or more for the client to get
back to you, it’s imperative that you learn to
deliver ideas -- at least rough ones, kernels of
something great -- quickly.
So work that muscle. Write down what you want
to say or do or build and then start generating CP&B ad for GT bicycles.
ideas -- concepts, headlines, layouts, app ideas.
You may need and actually get a reasonable
amount of time to make it great, but learn to think
and generate volume quickly.
13. 9
Be prolific
Most great creatives and creative directors will
tell you that quantity can help you get to quality.
You want to get all the obvious and mediocre
ideas out of your system. It clears the way for
something breakthrough. It doesn’t matter
whether you are writing headlines, exploring
visual metaphors, thinking about type treatments,
or coming up with digital or viral executions,
pages of ideas can be your friend.
See what Luke has to say. I remember Tom
McEllligott telling me he wrote a hundred
headlines for every great one. And today, even
when we’re iterating our way to a great digital
experience, we often start with dozens of options
before we start developing one.
Starting on page 83. See what Luke has to say.
14. 10
Collect ideas constantly
Creating should be like
eating or taking a shower.
Part of your daily routine long
before you have a job. So get
a good sketch book or a
Moleskin. Write down ideas,
even half assed ones, all the
time. See a problem? Sketch
a solution. Can’t think of
one? Write down the
problem. Have a crazy idea
that just pops into your Clip stuff from the web, take
head? Put it in your pictures of things that inspire
notebook. you, learn to “steal” the
essence of art and music
and theatre and snippets of
conversation heard on the
subway. You never know
when they’ll come in handy. This Picasso doodle from the Picasso Museum in Paris inspired an
award winning ad campaign for Smartfood many years ago
15. 11
Master the basics
Typography, layouts, headlines, art direction are
all skills and knowledge that remain relevant even
in the digital age. Nike Fuel is beautiful. Even
YouTube videos need shots with good framing.
And despite the size of a mobile screen and the
limited options available, there are ugly mobile
sites and beautiful ones. You see app
descriptions written by amateurs, and others that
show a respect for language and the user. So
master the basics. Learn the elements of good
communication. Pay attention to detail. Care
about the craft.
16. 12
Create pictures with
words
“People start reading when they’re interested and
stop reading when they’re not.” That was a
favorite expression of Jim Mullen, one of my
mentors. Words are still incredibly powerful.
Whether on Twitter or in a poetic tv commercial.
Whether from the heart in an It Gets Better video.
Or a commencement talk given by Steve Jobs.
If you want someone to read and admire your
work, whether a poster, a script, a landing page,
a blog post or a brand manifesto, learn to tell
stories and paint pictures with your writing. And
have at least one or two great examples in your
book.
A decades old ad for Britain’s Health Education Council still works
today. With our without the picture.
17. 13
Learn to think visually
In a global, digital, connected world, visuals are the universal language. Get good at communicating with images.
18. 14
Imagine things you can
build
TV spots are still here. Outdoor in the hands of
Apple and other brands still works. But print is
slowly dying. OLA is proving less and less
relevant. Facebook engagement ads? Just look at
the stock price. In the future we will build things
that invite participation and create community,
which in turn spreads the word. It might be a long
lasting platform such as Nike + or Garmin
Connect, or even shorter lived campaigns like the
wonderful Chalkbot for Livestrong that invited
people to write messages from their home
computer in support of cancer victims then see Come up with ideas like this -- relevant,
them appear on the roads of the Tour de France. compelling, participatory, that connect the
A physical thing that turned into marketing and physical world, human behavior and brand
advertising. objectives.
19. 15
Conceive relevant utility
We are moving into an age of Tesco installed digital
marketing as service. Too supermarkets in Korea’s
many ad campaigns and subway stations so that
ideas start with “What should customers could shop on
we say?” and “What do we their way home and have
want consumers to do?” their purchases waiting for
Instead they should ask, them. It saved real estate
“What can we build?” and investment, allowed for
“What can we do for our centralized warehousing and
customers?” Obviously took into consideration the
brands don’t give stuff away way Korean’s actually lived,
just to give it away, but commuted and shopped.
rather to create utility that Come up with useful ideas
offers mutual value. Uniqlo like this for your book.
might let users lower the
price of clothing items by
Tweeting. Charmin’ has an
app that helps you find clean
public restrooms.
20. 16
Start with the medium
Media is the new creative department in many
agencies. It’s about relevant context. Ask where
are users hanging out digitally? What kind of
content are they already sourcing? How can you,
the creative person, use it differently to connect,
engage, make a point?
What can you do with Spotify, with Pandora, with
YouTube, with Twitter, with physical spaces?
Take a look at how Droga 5 launched Bing with
Jay-Z. Or even how Mullen helped Jet Blue hi-
jack YouTube or let Olympus demonstrate a
camera’s features with an augmented reality
execution. Then find a media property and think
about how you could use it inventively to help a
brand to solve a marketing problem.
21. 17
Invent with the new
platforms
The future of media isn’t
coming from New York or LA.
It’s coming from Silicon
Valley. Twitter, Instagram,
Pinterest, Springpad (OK,
they’re in Massachusetts) are
the new networks and
magazines. Places where
consumers come to create,
Play with Instagram and photo apps.
curate, and be entertained.
Learn to conceive ideas in
these new spaces. Know
what you can do with the
social platforms, with their
APIs, even with the latest
apps as they emerge.
Broadcast using Create a complete website using Pinerest
Thunderclap, create ad-like
objects using Over Write +
Text, hack the systems in a
positive way.
22. 18
Become a T-shaped
person
These are the creative But you also need a good
credits for Nike Fuel in this sense of what all the other
year’s Cannes Creativity roles are. How do you relate
Festival. It’s a long way from to them? How do they relate
Sterling, Cooper, Draper, to you? To what degree can
Pryce. You may have one job you think like them?
title and focus on one
function in particular. In fact, It may not necessarily be
you have to develop a vertical reflected in a comp that
skill. appears in your book, but it’s
a good idea to become
aware of the multiple
functions and be a T-shaped
person. It will help you find
co-creators to work with on
your ideas and prepare you
for that first real job.
23. 19
Learn what works for
you
We are all creative. But getting to ideas is
different for all of us. Some like to write down
dozens of directions or lines. Others think in
pictures. Or in metaphors. You might like to start
generating ideas immediately, or ruminate for
while. Take a shower or a long walk. Doodle or
create mind maps. Experiment, try different
techniques, start in different places.
Explore lots of options. Eventually you will figure
out the tactics and techniques that work for best
for you.
W. Glenn Griffin and Deb Morrison have written a book exploring how dozens of creatives
jump start the process
24. 20
Don’t forget to play
Too many people are afraid to be creative. Fearful
of taking chances and putting their work out there
for world to see. Petrified of showing or sharing
their ideas to someone who might criticize it.
Play helps. It builds trust between you and your
partner or colleagues. It helps overcome
intimidation. It makes you comfortable. All of
which contribute to releasing your inner creativity.
25. About the instructor
Portfolio Development for
Advertising
Hi. I’m Edward Boches, If you want to access me,
Professor of the Practice in you can find me as
Mass Communication, edwardboches on Twitter,
Advertising and PR at Boston Facebook, Pinterest,
University’s College of Springpad, Vimeo, YouTube,
Communication. Slideshare and my blog
Creativity_Unbound.
I'm also the chief innovation
officer, at Mullen where I
have been a partner for
nearly 30 years, most of
them as chief creative
officer, a role I gave up in
2010. In addition, I serve on
the board of directors for
Springpad and also for BDW
at the University of Colorado.
You can access the syllabus
to this course on Lore.com.
26.
27. Credits
Page1: Page 14
Taken from a presentation by Gareth Kay, From Picasso Museum in Paris, a doodle on an old
director of strategy for Goodby Silverstein and magazine
partners. Page 16
Page 2. Saatchi Cramer ad for Britain’s Health Ed Council
Economist ad by BBDO Abbot Mead Vickers, Page 17
London Ad for Bic pen by TBWA Hunt Lascaris, South
Page 5. Africa
From Apples’s 1984, spot by Chiat Day Page 18
Page 6. Nike Chalkbot, Wieden and Kennedy and Deep
Truth logo from campaign by CP&B and Arnold Local
Page 7. Page 19
Bill Bernbach Tesco, Korea
Page 8. Page 20
Rooftop Comedy Logo Mullen ad for Olympus
Page 9. Page 21
Scale McCabe Sloves Volvo ad Scamp conference created on Pinterest
Page 10. Page 22
Vermeer’s A Lady Writing Creative credits for R/GA Cannes entry for Nike
Page 11. Fuel
Made by Many, London Page 23
Page 12. The Creative Process Illustrated, by W. Glenn
CP&B ad for GT Bicycles Griffith and Deborah Morrison
Page 13. Page 24
Hey Whipple…by Luke Sullivan Tim Brown, CEO, Ideo Ted Talk