Hasta La Creative!

Well, that’s the gospel according to Ignacio Oreamuno, executive director of the ADC, who helps round out our December installments of industry observations, whether they be 2013 recaps or 2014 forecasts. Oreamuno opts for the latter in his brief entry, which you can read below. We might sneak in one more tomorrow on a short day to close out the year, but who knows. Anyways, take it away, sir.

2014 will be the biggest year to date, not just for ADC, but for the entire global industry. Most people contributing to this column will probably write about the way the industry will transform, but what I believe is important is the way we will transform the industry. It is time for the industry to move forward from the hole it is stuck in.

After traveling the world and meeting with hundreds of agency leaders, I predict a massive talent crisis at both the top level of agencies, as well as at the entry level. Disillusioned with an industry that has become lazy and used to making an ugly product, thousands will flee to jobs that feel more real and more productive. It’s hard to remain motivated to create advertising when we don’t like or want to consume advertising ourselves anymore. ADC is calling for a global rethink of our titles and tasks. Ironically, we believe that titles like ‘art director’ and ‘copywriter’ don’t reflect the future, are confusing and are hampering us by limiting what we think should make up our skill sets.

Structurally, I believe that the agency of the future is not a massive agency holding company or conglomerate, but rather small independent shops with very well-trained, well-paid individuals who are neither afraid to learn new techniques and technologies, nor to re-invent themselves. These small shops will have the power to say ‘no’ to creating the ugly advertising that simply pays the bills. They will be the ones responsible for improving the quality of the creative product around the world, and talent will flock to them searching for work environments with more substance and real competitive, creative environments.

ADC will be flexing 93 years of muscle this year, and no organization around the world will be doing more than us to help the industry navigate itself and its professionals to a prosperous future. That’s not a prediction, that’s a promise.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Yes, kids, it’s time to get those portfolios in shape as the annual Portfolio Night event is just a month away. The 11th annual installment of the recruiting/review event will take place simultaneously on May 22 in 24 participating cities around the world including Athens, New York and Tokyo. For the first time, Portfolio Night, which was founded by IHaveAnIdea, will be presented by the Art Directors Club, with this year’s theme being the “3-Hour Job Hunt” (promo video produced with 360i and starring IHAVEANIDEA founder/current ADC executive director Ignacio Oreamuno above).

Anyhow, tickets for the event are now on sale. Over the weekend, Tokyo celebrated its first time participating in Portfolio Night by launching the horror-themed promo below. Being fans of the genre, we just couldn’t resist.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.