Priorities: an opinion
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Dear “Creatives” I remember when the second first things first manifesto came out. Like the first, it asked individual creatives re-examine their priorities. To ask themselves, “is this what my talent, my unique creative ability is best used for, selling crap?” The answer appears to be yes. It’s understandable, advertising pays well, and gives exposure. Both of which are powerful enticements to do anything, and there aren’t many fields that offer both. The feeling one gets when you see a stranger leafing through something you’ve designed, or pointing out to family or friends that you worked on the commercial that just popped up on the TV, or wrote the spot that just played over the radio, is tough to beat. That also plays into the problem, that has become the definition of success. Creative professionals have the ability to come at problems from directions others usually don’t. In doing so we can find solutions, others may not think of. If the time and brain power put into a series of commercials where a half-naked man sells body soap were put towards the BP oil spill, maybe (a big maybe) things would have ended better or quicker. There’s no shortage of problems we face, and it seems more and more often, the offenders are using tricks from advertising to cover their asses rather than work at solving them. If you want to use your talent to hock hamburgers or light beer, than fine, they’re your talents. But please, have a modicum of integrity, and try not to convince people that: a polluting company is “green”, or bolstering the image of a company that knowingly neglected safety issues in which people died, or repairing the public image of an individual that acts with utter disregard for the law or oaths they’ve taken. In those situation where damage has been done, let’s not help the people doing the damage avoid responsibility, help those that truly need help, even if it doesn’t pay as well. It’s okay to say “no” to a project. Really.  |