Portfolio Night is a global, annual event where aspiring young advertising copywriters, art directors and designers meet with several renowned advertising creative directors in a fast-paced evening of career-shaping advice, networking, and for some, recruitment offers.
The first ever South African Portfolio Night takes place in Johannesburg next week, hosted by advertising agency McCann. We quizzed some of the participating creative directors in the lead up. First up is Grame Jenner, Creative Founding Partner at King James II and Pierre Odendaal, Chief Creative Officer at McCann.
Graeme Jenner
What’s the best ad/campaign you’ve made?
Shit, I dunno if they are the best, but I enjoyed doing the Corsa Lite “Raj & Raj2″ campaign and also pretty much everything we did on Chicken Licken. If I have to choose one Licken ad it’d be this one:
Click here to view the embedded video.
What made you want to be in the advertising industry in the first place?
I didn’t really. I studied Graphic Design and near the end of 3rd year Net#work called Wits Tech and asked them to send over 5 students for interviews. At the time I was about to get onto a cruise liner and work in a cheesy TV printing shop. Anyway, I was offered the job as an art director (I didn’t even know what that was at the time) and ended up staying at Net#work for 16 years, until very recently…
What’s the one piece of advice you wished you’d received when you were starting out at the beginning of your career?
1. Don’t snort tequila.
2. Cut your hair before the guy in Cannes mistakes you for a girl and kisses you.
3. Beware Reply All’s
4. Don’t buy the turkish midget girl a cup of vodka.
5. Don’t write your answers to an interview that will be published online while you are very hungover.
What’s more important: a perfect portfolio or a personality?
Nobody has a perfect portfolio do they?
Pierre Odendaal
What’s the best ad/campaign you’ve made?
It would be a campaign I did at Razorfish in NY whilst being the Group Creative Director there, for AXE “Anarchy”. A super cool idea combined with super cool execution.
Click here to view the embedded video.
What made you want to be in the advertising industry in the first place?
It was the fact that I realised from an early age that when I was looking/reading magazines I would always be more interested in the brand ads than the actual content. I knew immediately that this was the kind of job I wanted to do, I wanted to be part of this world, I wanted to be the one creating this world.
What’s the one piece of advice you wished you’d received when you were starting out at the beginning of your career?
This would be work smarter, work harder and always remember it’s got be FUN.
What’s more important: a perfect portfolio or a personality?
Both, the personality is behind the portfolio then the portfolio is there to sell the personality. But when one works with people the personality is what causes the magic to happen.
Find out all about Portfolio Night and how to get involved here.
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