What my Crappy Portfolio Taught Me About Branding
My big aspirations as an advertising copywriter led me from the swampy shores of Florida to the concrete canyons of New York City. I managed to connect with a bunch of Creative Directors at big-time agencies for a handful of meetings. I was meeting the top of the top. I couldn’t contain my excitement. I couldn’t believe my good fortune. My dream job was just a conversation away. All I needed was one foot in the door, and one CD to see the delicious brilliance of my work.
The big meetings arrive and the CDs were unanimous with their feedback:
“Your portfolio sucks.”
Their criticisms were striking in their similarities. “This ad is lame.” “That ad is hokey.” “The first headline is OK, the other two, meh.” “I’ve seen this idea before and they did it better.”
Gut punch. Gut punch. Gut punch.
ENOUGH!
Then, all of the pain subsided when one CD said something changed how I saw my job forever. She said, “You created this work for a client. And therein lies your problem.”
I said, “Of course I created it for a client. Who else would I create the work for?”
Without hesitation, she said, “Me.”
This answer stopped me with its simplicity. As the comment sunk in, I realized that I was missing the target audience completely. The work in my portfolio was created for my clients, not for who mattered in my job hunt: the Creative Director.
Clients have very particular and specific accountabilities, tastes, desires, and fears. The work in my portfolio was a reflection of those needs. All of the work in my portfolio was published, legitimate work, but didn’t reflect the needs of a Creative Director.
My CD audience wanted kickass creative, mind-bending visuals, headlines that made them rethink their lives, enviable strategies. My CD audience wanted every ad in that portfolio to make an unmistakable impression. They wanted to know that my standard for “great” was equal — if not better — than their own standard. Why? So they can trust me to bring that same standard to their clients.
Two different types of people require two different paths of engagement. This insight made every gut punch worth absorbing.
And I’m hoping this insight saves you from a little punishment as well.
