Adweek has been offering a lot of guest columns of late. They’re featuring one from freelance copywriter and creative director, Jim Morris, at the moment. He argues that it’s tough being a CD today. His main point is CDs are doing their work and the work of hapless account directors.
As I see my creative director clients at agency after agency being stretched and twisted into unnatural positions, it makes me want to slap the fat cats at the top.
For Chrissakes, bigwigs, let ’em create, let ’em lead, let ’em teach and nurture — but please stop forcing creative directors into suits and making them book their own flights.
In related news, Zeus Jones, refuses to employ account people. Rob White told the daily (ad) biz why.
The job of account people is primarily to manage relationships. We have set up our business to solve business problems on a project by project basis. If we’re successful that will build healthy relationships as a by-product. What this means is that the people responsible for the strategies and ideas have a direct, unimpeded relationship with the clients. Our clients like that. It may not always be the most efficient way to run the business but we like it.
