All those glittering and glamorous ads we watch on T.V, see magazines etc
are the results of the hard work of a team of members who apply their
creativity and perception to bring out the best in a product.
The Advertising industry has developed to a large extent over the years which
led to intense competition and the work of the ad professional is a critical one.
Today Advertising is not just an art and science of communication but it is a
serious business of building brands.
Skills and attributes:
To be an ad professional one should have a good command over language,
imagination, good communication skills, wide mental horizons and ability to
perceive things, ability to meet deadlines, and he/she should be able to work
under pressure.
Options in advertising career:
Creative Team:
Though there exists two opinions regarding whether creativity is the
only service an ad agency sells or not, there are no two views about the fact
that creativity is most important for an ad agency. The job profile of the
creative team is more attractive, challenging and demanding and no doubt
a most rewarding one than any other field.
A creative team has two primary functions. First is copy writing where
the caption, copy matter and other text based components are framed by
a copywriter. He uses his creativity and works on the requirement of the client.
He is responsible for making the ad look attractive and delivering the message
to the point.
The art director supplements the work of a copy writer with his visuals
and graphical components. A perfect combination of both creative and art
directors make the ad appealing. "This is a team work and usually the
concept level creativity emerges more from the team than from any individual
. So as to ensure better cohesiveness among the team members we usually
let the same team work together" clarifies the Creative director of a leading
agency who also adds that "both the copy writer as well as the art director
have the chance to elevate themselves to the level of a Creative Director to
whom both the copy writer as well as the art department would report."
Eligibility (copy writer):
To be a copywriter one has to have good command over the language.No
formal qualification is expected. A copywriter can start his career right
from a junior writer and grow to be a creative director passing through
the levels of senior copywriter, copy group head and creative group head.
Eligibility (art Director):
One has to have an art background and graduation in art from a well
reputed college. A person joins as junior visualizer and then steps into the
level of senior visualiser and then art director and finally a creative director.
Moreover, there is always an option of being a freelancer to few ad agencies
and simultaneously working in an agency itself.
Client Servicing:
The key function of this department is to win clients or 'accounts' as and
when time demands and to service the agency's clients on a day to day basis.
They act as mediators between the other departments within the agency
and the client. Their work involves thorough understanding of the client's
requirements and his product and guiding the agency to provide what the
brand needs. After studying the clients requirements they prepare a gist of
what is needed usually termed as 'brief' which influences the success of the ad.
Eligibility:
A postgraduate degree in management has more or less become the norm
and for heavily technology oriented products and brands, a graduation
in that stream would come handy. The hierarchy moves from junior accounts
executive to that of accounts director.
Media Planning:
The role of a media planner has widened with the wide exposure of
channels, newspapers and Internet portals. His job profile is to study
numbers and make estimates so that a statistical background would come handy.
Eligibility:
A Master's degree in media planning offered by MICA and usually an MBA is
also
recommended.
Courses Offered:
Specialized courses in advertising:
Many Institutions offer specialized postgraduate courses in advertising. To
be eligible to join these courses, you should be a graduate with keen interest
and skills in advertising. The time of application and short listing varies across
institutes, Usually the applications are issued from January to around June.
Some of the premier institutes that offer postgraduate courses in advertising are:
- Mudra Institute of Communication (MICA) Ahmedabad
- Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi
- Bhavans College of Communication and Management at Calcutta, Delhi,
Mumbai, - Cochin, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kakinada, Vizag and Nagpur.
- Institute of Mass Communication, Manipal
- Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai.
- PSG College of Arts and Sciences, Coimbatore.
- Master of Communication Studies, Pune.
- Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai.
- Advertising Club, Chennai, Bangalore
- M.B.A from any leading institute would also help.
Courses for students who wish to join the art Department:
Graduate courses are offered in the area of arts. XII std is the basic
requirement. In order to put the artistic skills under test, some institutions
follow a 3-day aptitude test. The first 2 days will be test pertaining to
portrait and Full figure where as the 3rd day will be in the area of
specialization opted. Most institutions start their admission procedure i
n the month of March or later only. Premier institutions that offer degrees in
commercial art, which help in joining the art department are as follows:
- JJ School of Art Mumbai
- Government college of Arts and Crafts (across many cities in the country)
- College of Art, New Delhi
- College of Art, Chandigarh
List of institutes in A.P.
1. Loyala Academy College,
(Affiliated to Osmania University) ,
Alwal, Secunderabad (AP)
2. Nizam College
(Affiliated to Osmania University),
Gunfoundry, Hyderabad, AP
Careers