By James Reynolds

Lessons from PB3

I’m writing this scab on a Friday morning from the (dis)comfort of my bed.

I’ve been forced to take some time off due to tonsillitis.

Now I was under the impression you got this when you were run down. But i’ve been sleeping and eating well, and given up drinking.

The work load has increased at school but I’ve felt in control.

Actually.

You’re never in complete control. (a great guest speaker @hrmeaner spoke about this last week)

Last Friday morning we handed in PB3. A brief that we had 3 weeks to work on (amongst many others).

We adhered to the new ‘Sign-off’ spreadsheet that has been introduced to keep us on track at every stage.

One week: for research and proposition

One week: for ideas

One week: for craft

Simple.

Or so it may seem if you pick and choose your mentor advice wisely.

Learning #1: TRUST YOUR GUT

Now this is an issue that keeps coming up. But it’s hard not to appreciate – or take for gospel – every mentors advice when they are clearly more experienced than you.

But when you switch your idea back-and-forth and end up where you first started, you quickly learn that – in this ultimately subjective industry – you need to trust your gut.

We wanted to do a really a good job and craved the approval of far too many mentors.

Maybe if our idea had been simpler/better we could have got the green light from them all. But actually, I doubt it.

Learning #2: ALWAYS LEAVE ENOUGH TIME FOR CRAFT

So with the deadline at 9:30am Friday, our idea gets killed at 6.10pm on Thursday evening.

The frantic rush begins. And once again, craft is forfeited.

No matter how good the idea is, if it is executed poorly it’s not going to impress.

Learning #3: DON’T COMPROMISE YOUR WORK

As an Art Director the craft of the artwork kinda falls on you. And as a Copywriter you are kind of responsible for the copy.

But of course, working in a partnership you realise the project together.

So there are blurred lines – behind the scenes – as to what impact has been made by each creative.

But on the surface, one person is accountable for art and one person is accountable for copy. And you will be judged as so by your peers. So don’t compromise your work.