To approve or not to approve: BE Toons
HighlightsNavigating approval hierarchies in advertising agencies is a challenge The struggle to maintain creative essence amid constant feedback persists Approval needs in agencies echo evolutionary survival instincts
Cockroaches outlived dinosaurs, Homo Erectus outlived the flightless Dodo, and the need for approval is going to outlive humanity.
And no, this is not merely about the psychological need for validation that is the subject of many a scientific study, but about the events that unfold in the confines of an
advertising agency
.
The first instance appears when you step onto the shop floor for the first time - figuring out the people your supervisor approves of - this determines your circle of fellow inmates who will make up for watercooler revelations.
Then comes the part where you actually sit down to do the work. All understanding of how to do a good job has to pass the filter of your supervisor, their boss, and the preferences of their boss's boss'. Because those are the number of stamps that your strategy/copy/artwork will need before it is finally presented to the client - which, when it happens, has another hierarchy of its own.
Working on feedback and reworking the
creative output
is frustrating, taxing, tiring, and at times downright infuriating. Many people talk about how it almost feels like for every step we take forward, there is a pressure to take two steps back. Yet, we persist; because the magic lies in the essence of what the original idea was. And that is the very essence that experienced professionals know to keep alive.
That is what the craft is all about–keeping the soul alive, while ensuring it survives all curveballs thrown at it.
Don't you think?
Cockroaches outlived dinosaurs, Homo Erectus outlived the flightless Dodo, and the need for approval is going to outlive humanity.
And no, this is not merely about the psychological need for validation that is the subject of many a scientific study, but about the events that unfold in the confines of an advertising agency.
The first instance appears when you step onto the shop floor for the first time - figuring out the people your supervisor approves of - this determines your circle of fellow inmates who will make up for watercooler revelations.
Then comes the part where you actually sit down to do the work. All understanding of how to do a good job has to pass the filter of your supervisor, their boss, and the preferences of their boss's boss'. Because those are the number of stamps that your strategy/copy/artwork will need before it is finally presented to the client - which, when it happens, has another hierarchy of its own.
Working on feedback and reworking the creative output is frustrating, taxing, tiring, and at times downright infuriating. Many people talk about how it almost feels like for every step we take forward, there is a pressure to take two steps back. Yet, we persist; because the magic lies in the essence of what the original idea was. And that is the very essence that experienced professionals know to keep alive.
That is what the craft is all about–keeping the soul alive, while ensuring it survives all curveballs thrown at it.
Don't you think so?
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