SHOWCASE YOUR STYLE
Advertising is always on the lookout for something new that fits a specific
campaign’s brief, so create work with your own unique voice. Artists’
personal work can directly influence agencies to hire them to create a
campaign inspired by that work.PREPARE FOR PRESSURE
Advertising commissions can be very intense, with quick high-pressured
turnarounds to meet deadlines, so be prepared. The agency will want to be
confident that you can answer the brief, deliver on time and to a satisfactory
quality. It’s important to be professional at all times and keep in regular
communication with the agency during the creation of the work.KNOW YOUR WORTH
Be sure of what questions to ask about rights, usage and territories where
the work will be used, as that will affect the price to quote. Advertising has
its own language with phrases like ‘Buyout’, ‘Above the line’ and ‘Below the
line’, so ensure you know what these mean or seek clarification. Fees can
be considerably larger than for other areas, so if you’re unsure what to
quote and aren’t represented by an artists’ agent, I recommend getting
professional pricing advice from the Association of Illustrators.BE VISIBLE
It’s important to make your work visible to commissioners. It’s usually the
art buyer who will source illustrators and deal with negotiations. They will
look for talent in various places, often starting with the web. I’m still a great
believer in quality print promotion so it’s good to target art buyers directly
with something memorable and well produced. Some of my biggest
advertising commissions have some from my print mailers.TECHNIQUES 20 TIPS FOR BETTER ADVERTISING IMAGES
- ESSENTIAL ADVICE FOR GETTING
STARTED IN ADVERTISING
),,5342!4/2ď2/$ď(5.4ď˴WWW.RODHUNT.COM˵ď
SHARES HIS INSIGHTS ON HOW YOU CAN BREAK INTO THE
ADVERTISING INDUSTRY- UNDERSTAND A BRIEF
Rod Hunt (www.rodhunt.com) is an illustrator who
has worked with a wide range of clients, who come
to him for his exceptionally detailed illustrations. He
is used to working within the parameters of a tight
brief and shares his advice for those just starting out
in the industry: “[In] advertising, [clients] will usually
have a clear vision of what they’re wanting to say
and may even supply you with a mock-up of the
campaign layout and concept. It’s not often you will
be given a total free rein. Read the brief, ask
questions of the agency, understand their motivations
for the campaign, the priorities for the end client, and
make it a two-way conversation. Though not always
possible due to location, a face-to-face meeting with
the creatives on the campaign is usually useful to
discuss ideas and direction. I regularly have conference
or video calls when discussing a brief with a client and
follow-up calls at various stages of production when
necessary. Your illustration is not the final product,
being one part of a much bigger process.”As an example, Hunt was commissioned by
agency Instinct BBDO in Moscow to illustrate
KVARTIROVEDENIE [Apartmentology] a
massive cross-media campaign for
IKEA Russia. A huge illustration of ten different
families and their apartments was required to
represent IKEA furniture solutions suited to
each family’s lifestyles. The illustrations were
used in a book written by Russian children’s
author Grigory Oster and as an online game.© Rod Hunt© Rod Hunt