Voices
I've Become One of "Them".

by David Wolff
Design by Michelle Clark

I'm a Creative Director. And, I do a lot of broadcast, print and interactive. It's stressful, it's challenging and it keeps me literally running to keep up with six or eight different accounts. But damn it, I love it.

Here's the thing. By publishing that innocuous little phrase above: "I do a lot of broadcast, print and interactive", it means I will likely receive an additional eighteen or twenty voice mail messages a week for several weeks from post houses, production companies, freelance writers, dub houses, printers and web developers, etc. Calls that virtually none of which I'll have the time to return.

But, I've consciously welcomed the unsettling risk of more messages from sales people, because I'm working through an identity crisis. You seeÉ I've become one ofÉ "them". One of those too-important-to-return-a-stupid-phone-call creative directors that used to be the bane of my existence.

Back in 1983 I set out to get work as a commercial director in the Atlanta market. I'm sure there are still some long time members of the ad community who can recall my early days. I was 24, I looked 17 and no viewing of my reel was complete without the question: How old are you?

Marketing myself to agencies was a daunting task. I spent hours a day, call after call to agency broadcast producers throughout the region. Did you get the reel? Did you look at the reel? Do you have anything coming up I can bid on? Many an agency producer would eventually let me bid, too. As if that's all I really wanted from them: A chance to be the third bid.

I eventually discovered the name of the game was to stay away from the agency broadcast producers and go directly to the creative directors. The theory was that the decision was really theirs anyway, not the producer's. And, I was right.

At it's best, side stepping the producer yielded creative directors who decided to work with me without even having to competitively bid the project. And a couple of times without even looking at the reel: The ultimate.

At it's worst, well at least I'd get a creative director's valuable perspective on my reel. Instead of producer comments like: "It's too long." or "Get rid of the montage." IÔd get comments like: "That spot really sucks. Why the hell is it on your reel?" Or, "Boy, you really had to polish a turd on that one É" a true compliment.

But, the reality was that 99 out of 100 creative directors I wanted to reach didn't take or return calls from production companies or directors they hadn't already worked with. The only way I managed to speak with them and strike up the dialogue was when they took my call by accident or when I finally left enough messages for them to feel sorry for me.

There was one creative director in Atlanta for whom I left one or two messages a week for over three years before he returned my call; well over 250 messages. He knows who he is. I got the distinct feeling he did not feel bad about it, either.

Well, I for one, do feel bad about it. I really want to take all the calls. I really want to return all of my messages. I really want to work, at least once, with everyone. But it just ain't gonna happen. Which, to all of you would be suppliers, makes me one ofÉ "them".

Sometimes irony is funny, sometimes tragic, sometimes plain old weird. This brand of irony is just embarrassing, not to mention depressing. But, this painful position that stems from the moral conflict between my present and my past has enlightened me about my identity and it's current crisis.

There have always been and always will be lots of creative directors that are jerks, but that isn't necessarily why they don't return their phone messages. And, the creative directors that aren't jerks are probably just as busy as I am.

I hope this has helped you as much as it has helped me.

Have an interesting story to tell? Something that really gets your goat? A part of the industry that baffles you, amazes you or excites you? Share it with us in the wild and racy Voices column. It's your turn to be heard. Get it out of your system. Share it with the people who understand. Contact us at 404.633.1779 with your idea or story, or email gary @ozonline.tv.