Breaking In

Check out the work of James Mok.

What do you look for in a student portfolio? And what impresses you?

I certainly like individual flair. I’ve always thought that the best creativity comes out of a person’s ability to express themselves as an individual. I think it’s really hard when you’re young and you haven’t spent a lot of time in advertising. You’re still figuring out things, and you invariably copy a lot. You’re mimicking techniques you’re drawn to, so naturally your work is incredibly derivative, which is unfortunate because everyone is looking for something original.

I look for someone who can take a brand’s point of view and overlay their own personal point of view about the world, about society, about people. Human insights, I guess. Then work has a bit more meaning. When ads are just a superficial gag or just a play on words, it doesn’t really get through on an emotional level.

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James Mok is Executive Creative Director, Asia Pacific at FCB International in Auckland.

MINI/SPCA – “Driving Dogs”

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Check out the work of David Nobay.

What do you look for in a student portfolio? And what impresses you?

I think what impresses me more than anything else is just a point of view. It’s interesting, a lot of young people come here who have been filtered through older people. So they come in and take me through work and I say, “Do you love this? Because I don’t actually love this.” And as soon as I push them in it they say, “No, I hate this, but I was told it would be really good.” Or, “I was told you’d like it.” And I get it because I remember being young and also being told to listen to everyone. But what you’re really looking for is someone who can filter the information around them, even at a young age. So they can say, “Everyone told me this and everyone gave me this advice but ultimately I’m presenting you something having filtered it through my brain that I’m proud of.” And I very rarely see that.

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David Nobay is Creative Chairman at Droga5 in Sydney.

Qantas – “Stories for every journey”

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Check out the work of Damian Royce.

The number one thing is being able to identify solutions for brands. When a brand comes to an agency they are looking for solutions to their problems. So the first thing I ask when I’m looking at a folio is, “Are these ideas solving problems?” And, of course, “Are they doing that in a clever and original way?”

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When you meet with someone do they bring in a laptop or…

Over the past couple of years, I’ve just looked at the books online to immerse myself in their work and then, in the interview, I ask them some questions and it gives them a chance to explain the ideas in a bit more detail. The other side of the interview for me is to just have a good conversation and establish what sort of personality they have and what their views are about creativity and the industry in general—not just getting a picture of them through their work. I think it’s actually a really good thing to be able to review a portfolio online before the interview because you can see the work and then get a sense for what makes them tick in the actual interview.

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Damian Royce is Creative Director at Whybin\TBWA Group in Melbourne.

ANZ Bank GayTMs Case Study

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Check out the work of Eugene Cheong.

I want to see five great things. Too often students try to bulk up their books, which only shows a lack of judgment and good taste. Ideally, I’d like to see a couple of posters. They are the ultimate test. Any fool can blow up an idea, but it takes a great deal of skill to boil a thought down to a few words and a single picture.

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How important is finish? Could sketches be enough?

Creative directors have [an] incredibly short attention span. Present your ideas in the most efficient manner and forget about all the crafty bits. As long as the idea comes across crystal clearly, roughs are fine. Of course, platform ideas need to be explained. The best way to do that is with a concept board, which, funnily enough, is not too dissimilar to a good old-fashioned press ad.

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Eugene Cheong is Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific.

Coca-Cola – “Sharing Can”

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Check out the work of Craig Davis.

What do you look for in a student or junior portfolio? And what impresses you?

I look for surprises. I look for the unexpected. I look for things I haven’t seen before. And I try to look behind the work as well and see what’s informed it. Because while the book is really, really important, I’d never hire someone on the strength of a book alone. I’m really interested in the person. I’m interested in why they’re doing what they’re doing. What drives them and what informs their work.

Is that something that you find comes through in the work?

Yes. It has to come through in the work. Advertising is a form of creative expression that’s created by someone, and there’s a signature to that which is individual. Or it should be. It’s fed by their curiosity.

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Craig is Adjunct Professor at University of Technology in Sydney, and sits on the Boards of Advance, the Creative Industries Taskforce and Conscious Capitalism Australia. Craig has also served as Co-Chairman and Chief Creative Officer for Publicis Mojo in Australia, Chairman of the Australasian Writers and Art Directors Club and Deputy Chair of The Communications Council.

In his spare time he founded Brandkarma.com, the world’s first brand-centric social media platform. He blogs and tweets, and has written the most popular column for Campaign Asia-Pacific for the past three years.

Burn – “Ride”

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