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Advertising art director: Job description and activities

Job description

Advertising art directors, often referred to as ‘creatives’, are responsible for producing innovative ideas for advertising campaigns in all kinds of media, including:

• television;
• radio;
• digital;
• posters;
• press;
• direct mail.

Digital/viral marketing is the biggest growth area. Art directors work in partnership with a copywriter as a 'creative team' and focus on the visual look and feel of a campaign. An art director works on a brief set by the client and is involved at every stage of the production process. The boundaries between the roles of art director and copywriter are more blurred today, with both having an input into both the visual and verbal content.

Typical work activities

The roles of advertising art directors vary according to the agency they work for and the client brief. Typical work activities may include:

• meeting with the account management team to discuss the client's requirements;
• gaining an understanding of the target audience and business that the advert is aimed at;
• working closely with the copywriter to generate creative ideas and concepts to fulfil the client's brief;
• meeting with the creative director before presenting ideas to clients;
• pitching ideas to clients;
• producing sketches or 'storyboards' (television) or 'roughs' or 'scamps' (print) to communicate ideas to the client;
• briefing other members of the creative team;
• commissioning photographers, artists or film-makers to work on projects;
• visiting and assessing locations for potential shoots;
• working on location;
• attending meetings at production houses and with other directors;
• working in editing suites to oversee the finished product;
• advising new creatives, reviewing their ‘books’ and managing new teams on placement with the agency.

AGCAS

Written by Suzanne McGregor, Nottingham Trent University

Last updated:

April 2009

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