Creative and design
Junior advertising creative
Advertising Creatives are responsible for coming up with original, exciting and memorable ideas that meet client's briefs and which can then be used in a range of mediums (e.g Radio, TV).
Summary
This occupation is found in the advertising industry. In the increasingly competitive global markets, it is the brands with creative, original, engaging advertising that really stand out from the crowd. Advertising helps turn products into brands by establishing a relationship between the consumer and the brand, thus securing long term, loyal custom. This is a specialist occupation which is found principally within advertising agencies, but Junior Advertising Creatives have skills that can be applied across a wide range of sectors, wherever there is a creative need for advertising, for example in the creative department of a broadcaster. In the United Kingdom there are thousands of people employed in this busy, fast paced and vibrant industry.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to come up with creative ideas which help bring forward fresh thinking and transform businesses and behaviour. This is achieved by creating standout advertising. The Junior Advertising Creative occupation is about origination. They start with a blank piece of paper and come up with a big idea that can be executed across multiple Media touchpoints.
Junior Advertising Creatives work on campaigns that provide people with information most effective to the target audience to help them make better informed decisions. A campaign is a series of adverts running in a short period in different mediums but with the same idea. They create adverts to encourage people to buy products, change their behaviour (for example to wear seatbelts or stop smoking), give to charitable causes or even effect social change (for example, reducing the use of single use plastic). They aim to delight, move and solidify the consumer’s understanding of that product or brand, service, issue or cause. They dramatise the product or services' benefit. Junior Advertising Creatives think up, develop and produce inspiring and effective advertising campaigns for clients, which can be delivered through appropriate and exciting media channels and platforms. This includes television, radio, newspapers, cinema and social media, and other digital platforms, but the world is changing, so Junior Advertising Creatives are also always on the lookout for new ways to present their ideas.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a wide range of people. They report into and are supported by more Senior Advertising Creatives. They work alongside the broader advertising team in conceiving and developing ideas. The Junior Advertising Creative originates the idea, and may work with Advertising Executives who act as the link between them and the client. They also work with others in the industry who are involved in delivery of the idea, such as Junior Content Producers.
Once an idea is formed, they work with the people who bring the idea to life. Typically this includes film directors, photographers, artists, illustrators, musicians and designers. They might occasionally be asked to present their ideas to the client, but this varies from company to company. Whilst this is an office-based occupation, good ideas can happen anywhere so Junior Advertising Creatives are not exclusively office based. As part of delivering a campaign, they may visit locations such as recording studios, film sets, sound stages, colour grading studios and even overseas locations, so they need to work flexibly, particularly if on a TV commercial shoot or helping towards a big presentation.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for originating surprising, brilliant, exciting, ingenious concepts and ideas. This can be a matter of opinion, so they need the tenacity and resilience to bounce back from setbacks, constructive feedback and also embrace criticism of their ideas. They are conscious of deadlines, budget restrictions and brief requirements. (There are two types of brief - the marketing business brief and a focused creative brief used to inform creatives of the task.) They usually have a number of creative projects running at the same time but at different stages and are responsible for making sure they all meet their deadlines. This is an occupation where you can be yourself, introvert or extrovert, because it is the ideas which matter.
Typical job titles include
- Creative technologist | Junior art director | Junior brand creator | Junior copywriter | Junior creative | Junior creative writer
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)
K1:
The roles and departments and functions within an advertising team and how they interact with their own role. For example account planning, Account Executives, production specialists.
K2:
The way in which a creative idea is developed from brief to production for example, the key stages such as the client brief, creative briefing, presentation of ideas, research, pre-production, production, post production, delivery to the media channels, including basic understanding of what channels the Media Executives are recommending.
K3:
The multiple ways an idea can be communicated and distributed and their benefits e.g. TV, cinema, You Tube, social media, radio, posters, and influencers.
K4:
The basics of advertising ethics and the importance of work being legal, decent, honest and truthful.
K5:
How to put together and present an idea. Typically this might include slides, mood boards, storyboards, music, illustration and film references.
K6:
How to understand a client’s brief and the timing and budgetary restrictions therein.
K7:
How to interrogate and challenge a brief in a constructive way.
K8:
Trends and opportunities that can enhance an idea or add value to a client’s business, such as the role of influencers, new advertising delivery platforms like Virtual Reality, short form mobile videos.
K9:
How to identify and source the most appropriate internal and external craftsmen that can help produce the idea e.g. voice talent, directors, designers, photographers.
K10:
The typical characteristics of a “brand” for example, tone of voice, values.
K11:
How to give and receive constructive feedback.
K12:
How text and stories bring the idea to life including for publications, leaflets, web pages and social media.
K13:
How design and layout bring the idea to life including for publications, leaflets and web pages and social media.
K14:
Importance of approaching ideas from different perspectives for example how to combine ideas, or how to use an interesting fact.
K15:
How advertising can persuade people to do something e.g. change behaviour, or buy a different product
K16:
Typical terminology used for example, UX, Motion Graphics, Editor, Project Manager, Coder.
K17:
Understand the relationship between stories and the time limits of the selected media option and how to create short stories that fit the duration of the advert for example, scripts for radio.
K18:
That there is a legal and regulatory code (The Code) and have knowledge of how it is applied such as the basics of what can and can’t be shown in advertising for example, Portman rules on alcohol, gender stereotyping.
K19:
Principles and policies of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace.
K20:
Digital tools and software to communicate and interact with a range of key stakeholders.
K21:
Policies and procedures relating to environmental impact and sustainability.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0925: Junior advertising creative (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0925
- Status:
Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £31,041 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 3554 Advertising and marketing associate professionals
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 3554/01 Advertising and marketing executives
S1:
Interrogate a creative brief and find advertising potential within it, asking questions to clarify understanding.
S2:
Solve client communication problems for example, using mind maps.
S3:
Originate brand, products or service communications/ideas which answer a client’s brief.
S4:
Present their idea, using visual aids for example, slides, mood boards, storyboards and make use of music, photo, illustration and film references.
S5:
Research cultural trends and opportunities that can enhance an idea or add value to a client’s business for example, an awareness of the importance of environmental issues, or of an upcoming event and or film, could build references to this into the advert.
S6:
Identify and source the most appropriate internal and external experts and suppliers that can help produce the idea.
S7:
Research and interpret characteristics of a brand to establish most appropriate media option(s).
S8:
Deliver their work to brief and on time.
S9:
Write text and stories that bring the idea to life for publications, leaflets, web pages and social media.
S10:
Create design and layout that bring the idea to life for publications, leaflets, web pages and social media.
S11:
Apply feedback to amend or redevelop their ideas.
S12:
Undertake research into latest trends in advertising and new delivery platforms for example, keep abreast of new poster variants such as interactive superlite films at bus shelters and consider and recommend ways to use them.
S13:
Collaborate with the wider team and encourage them to share ideas to help bring the project to life.
S14:
Prioritise competing demands.
S15:
Write in any tone and or style, being aware of the need to communicate to different audiences taking into account cultural differences and social representation.
S16:
Influence others for example, buy a different product or change their behaviour.
S17:
Write scripts of different lengths to suit different media platforms and of different durations.
S18:
Communicate information through appropriate channels when seeking support to undertake tasks.
S19:
Use digital collaboration tools to work with colleagues and key stakeholders.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0925: Junior advertising creative (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0925
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £31,041 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 3554 Advertising and marketing associate professionals
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 3554/01 Advertising and marketing executives
B1:
Creative curiosity – researches the brief and shares their ideas.
B2:
Empathy – takes into account a range of viewpoints when carrying out tasks, shows emotional intelligence when managing other people.
B3:
Resilience – considers feedback objectively, bounces back from criticism of their idea, and continues working on the brief with enthusiasm by continuing to achieve deadlines and maintain rapport.
B4:
Working under pressure – manages multiple projects and deadlines.
B5:
Courageous – puts forward ideas to more senior colleagues and is prepared to challenge others.
B6:
Accountable for tasks, actions and work proactively seeks support.
B7:
Support an inclusive culture treating colleagues and external stakeholders fairly and with respect.
B8:
Acts professionally when representing the business virtually, in person and when communicating.
B9:
Prioritises sustainable practices for example reducing paper waste, turning off unused lights, car sharing or using public transport to travel for business meetings.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0925: Junior advertising creative (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0925
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £31,041 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 3554 Advertising and marketing associate professionals
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 3554/01 Advertising and marketing executives
