MonKeyArtAwards

Go Art Director Go

Click on the image above to enter the life-affirming world of Go Art Director Go.

Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright

We recently came across Linds Redding, an art director/motion graphics artist who blogs on the tricky business of living and dying.

This is from his post A Short Lesson in Perspective:

The other thing I did, I now discover, was to convince myself that there was nothing else, absolutely nothing, I would rather be doing. That I had found my true calling in life, and that I was unbelievably lucky to be getting paid – most of the time – for something that I was passionate about, and would probably be doing in some form or other anyway...

So was it worth it?

Well of course not. It turns out it was just advertising. 

Monday Mornings On Wilshire

Apparently not all of the creative staff have made the transition into Daylight Savings Time. 

Photo sent in by reader. Click on image to enlarge.

No Means No Way

We found this helpful diagram by Amelia Stier on TeachEvil.com:

Click on image to view entire chart.

Another Turning Point An X-acto Knife Stuck In The Road

There’s a moment in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris when Owen Wilson, after mooning endlessly over Paris in the 20’s, (The artists! The writers!) suddenly has the realization: “These people don't have any antibiotics!”

Lou Brooks' Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies serves the same purpose for any Mad Men fans thinking the era of stingy-brimmed hats was some sort of golden age for art directors.

Blowing Smoke Up Our Creative Asses

If you haven’t done so already, we suggest you update your LinkedIn profile with the latest in self-aggrandizing titles: Creative Executive

Judging by the recent LinkedIn Network Updates we’ve received, everyone is doing it - which is a good enough reason for us. On the other hand, if its very popularity makes it unappealing to you, we offer these modifications:

•  Chief Creative Executive Officer

•  Creative Executioner (perfect for you idea-killing clients)

•  Creative Commander-In-Chief

•  Supreme Creative Being

Staying In Character

We recently ran across this self-flagellating comment tucked away under our Hollywood’s Newest Face Off post from March 28:

Dear Edwina,

I've been noticing Gotham everywhere. You can add "Inception" and "For Colored Girls" to this list of Gotham-users. I myself am guilty of falling for this fantastic font, and in many cases recently, no other font looks right. I have to wean myself off of it, because I am a hard-core Gotham abuser.

Signed, Hugh G Rection

Understandable, Mr. Rection. Many art directors have a very short Desert Island Font List: Avant Garde and Peignot were must-haves for the swinging Letraset crowd in the 70s. Mistral and Memphis were big in the 80s - preferably in magenta with a 40% grey drop shadow - and let’s not forget all those forgettable grunge fonts of the 90s.

The Bitter Truth In Advertising

We initially posted this showing the middle characters as “account execs”, but soon after we updated it, labeling these as “studio execs.”

Our apologies for any confusion.

In an effort to clarify things, we've added the image below showing how account execs see themselves and how everyone else sees them, too:

And this one, sent in by a self-confessed finisher:

And a late entry sent in by an obviously disgruntled employee:

It's Later Than You Think

If you’re like us, rarely are you insulted when someone says that a monkey could do your job. After all, monkeys are adorable little poo flingers, just like we high-strung creative types.

However, when we hear that an app can do our job, well, that reeks of impertinence. Software is more like an account exec - a soulless tool that merely bends to will of its user.

Which is why we were so horrified to read this New York Times article sent in by one of our readers: Don’t Tell The Creative Department, But Software Can Produce Ads, Too

An Art Director Laments

Dear Edwina,

Adding to the list:

Negative space is not where you put the “the bad elements”

Tangency has nothing to do with urgency!

"Value" refers to a color's brightness, not how expensive the ink is.

Organic does not mean “add plants”

Technique does not mean “background”

The “flip” command in Photoshop does not mean you can now see the back of a person if you were looking at their front.

Equal Opportunity

A reminder to all you self-unemployed freelancers: send us a link to your website or your email address to be included in ourEntertainment Advertising's Fearless Freelancers column.

We Have Glimpsed The Future, And We Ain’t In It

“Copywriters? Who needs ‘em?!”  That’s what art directors have been saying for years. And now, thanks to PaperG clients don’t need those high maintainence designers, either.

The Admirable Tim Gunn

One of our readers sent us this link to AdAge’s article What 'Project Runway' Can Teach Agency Creative Directors:

While Tim's best known for his catchphrases, he is also the consummate creative director on the show (and likely in his role as chief creative officer for Liz Claiborne). Here's why:

He never imposes his own taste on the contestants. Rather, he tends to celebrate sensibilities that are different than his own. In essence, he doesn't ask, "Do I like this?" but instead focuses on what really matters in both the fashion world and in the marketing world: whether the target audience will like it. Maintaining objectivity is a special and important skill. 


He doesn't dictate solutions. Gunn doesn't say, "Make this red, make this longer and make this fuller." He says, "I'm not sure this color is right; we're seeing an awful lot of skin here, and I'm concerned there may not be enough volume in this area." Following that up with his trademark "Make it work" is simply his way of saying, "It's up to you to find solutions you're comfortable with, ones that still allow you to express your distinct creative style." 


He maintains his composure. Sometimes we forget that emotions are contagious in a creative environment. When the leader appears confident, everyone is confident; when the leader appears panicked, everyone panics. Whether delivering glowing praise or harsh criticism, Tim never loses his cool -- a good lesson for those hot-tempered top creatives in adland.

Indecent Flashing

Dear Edwina,

I happened upon a certain sandwich shop's website which had been redesigned since I last visited it. It now resembles some sort of strange ouija board and doesn't even allow you to see complete pieces of art. And it comes complete with headache inducing animations that whoosh you between each division. This from the "industry leader"! 

And it got me to thinking... why do so many agencies that bill themselves as "design shops" have so much trouble designing simple and elegant websites to display their wares? Many of them take forever to load, load with missing plug-ins, or create annoying pop-up windows. Nearly all of them feature completely pointless animation that's too clever by half. 

And a frightening number of them go for "cute". Most of them look like they were designed by a stable of Flash artists with nothing to do. What gives

A Conscientious Objector Writes

Dear Edwina,

I thought we are not allowed to post work we have done online? I thought the studio “buy out” meant that except in an effort to gain employment none of us can post work that the masses can see? And yet I see far less punctilious art directors and photographers showing off their finishes and even comps on their websites! Am I a fool for not doing likewise?

He Got A Big Ego Such A Huge Ego

Goodness! What a dustup we are having over art vs. commerce. Doubtless much of this acrimony is misplaced anger over having to work during the holidays (or having been laid off during the holidays.)

Nonetheless, if you’re like us, you know of more than one poncy art director currently laboring under the delusion that America is just dying to see his/her brainchild, but that wretched Philistine of a client is standing in the way of him/her and his/her public. 

Is there anything more tiresome than a prima donna? 

That’s not a rhetorical question. We really are asking our readers, what is the most annoying thing about this business?

 As far as Cr8tiveRecycler’s suggestion for an art director throw down, we will put that under consideration.