Freelance work is a part of the advertising world. Creative Directors, Copy Writers and Art Directors, all do side jobs. And I’m all for it. It’s a great way to make some money on the side, while at the same time sharpening your advertising skills. There are smaller companies all over that need good, cost effective creative to help them grow their business. Freelance work allows for both parties to benefit.
I’m such a big fan of freelance work that I’ve tried to pick up my own. I answered a Craigslist posting from a small company looking for some help with their marketing. After designing an awesome Power Point presentation, that only The Ultimate Account Guy could design, I ran into a hurdle.
The hurdle came in the form of limitations of the account realm. As an account guy, I can set up campaigns, I can find great media outlets, I can do everything possible to get great, consumer ready creative into the market. The only problem is, I can’t create the creative.
My solution to this was to team up with an art director that I know. Have her do the creative. I’ll do the account work. We’ll be a mini agency.
Problem with that is for both of us to make money that makes it worth our time, we have to charge more than we would like. A much more viable option is for a small business to go straight to an art director and work with him/her. Which is what this business did. I can’t blame them. Especially in this economy, going with the most cost effective way is the only way to go.
So my question to you is, have you found a viable way to get freelance work as an account person? If so, how?
-The Ultimate Account Guy
Categories: Advertising · Creative Teams · Freelance · Side Jobs · The Ultimate Account Guy · Work
What is an account guy? (I use guy as a unisex word. Account girls, don’t feel left out.)
If you are an account guy, you know that the account side is the heart and soul of an advertising account. You know all the work that goes into keeping up with due dates, client meetings and materials checklists. Most importantly, you know the frustration of dealing with pompous, infantile, bloated ego creative teams.
If you are a creative guy, you know that the account side is like a vacation. You hang out all day, chit chatting on the phone with clients and every now and then you have to reply to email. You spend most of your day pushing your work off on the creative team.
The real roll of the account guy, for those of you that don’t know, is like a mother. You have to be equal parts encouraging caregiver and iron fisted warden. You have to be able to encourage creativity and at the same time keep the ever-wandering creative teams within timeline. You have to be able to translate client speak into creative speak. And be able to keep the creative team from quitting when the client asks for the logo to be made bigger for the fifth time.
So this is the daily chore of the ultimate account guy. Keep the ying and the yang of the advertising world in line. Some say it’s an easy task. Some say it’s an impossible task.
What do you think? How important is the account side to good advertising?
-The Ultimate Account Guy
P.S. The unavoidable best and worst commercials of the Super Bowl is coming. Check back soon.
Categories: Advertising · Commercials · Creative Teams · The Ultimate Account Guy
