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Advertising Art Director

Advertising art directors are responsible for developing advertising ideas and translating these into advertising for print or television to sell a client's product or service. They also pull together a number of people to work on the production of the advertising and give direction on how the final product should look.

Tasks & duties

Advertising art directors may do some or all of the following:

receive an advertising brief from accounts management personnel that includes the background of the client, product or service, and the objectives of the advertising
discuss the product and medium being written for with the client
research the product, client or service
think up creative advertising ideas for print, television or direct mail in partnership with a copywriter and/or other members of the creative team
ensure the ideas are appropriate to the client's brand
create a visual sequence (storyboard) for television advertisements
present some of the drafts and ideas to the client
discuss with the client what idea they like and any changes they want
negotiate contracts with people involved in the advertising process such as photographers, talent (people featuring in advertisements), television directors and other production workers
co-ordinate the production of the advertising

Skills & knowledge

Advertising art directors need to have:

knowledge of how an advertising agency operates including advertising, promotional, printing and production methods
knowledge of the media and the best types of media to use for different advertising situations
understanding of various cultures, human behaviour and thought
knowledge of art materials and techniques including how to use colour and design effectively
layout, design and computer skills including the ability to use computer-aided design (CAD) software
excellent communication skills for presenting and selling ideas to clients
good people skills, including listening and negotiation skills
good time management, planning and budgeting skills
analytical skills for determining clients' needs
research skills for finding out about market trends, and the products and services they are helping to sell.

Advertising art directors also need to have a good general knowledge as their work can involve a variety of subjects.

Entry requirements

To become an advertising art director you need to have excellent design skills, creative ideas and experience in marketing and advertising. A portfolio of work is also required by most employers.

Secondary education

Sixth Form Certificate or NCEA equivalent art, art history, technical drawing, English, and maths is recommended.

Training on the job

Junior advertising art directors gain their skills on the job and learn from those working in more senior roles. Some training courses are offered by the advertising industry. It is important that advertising art directors keep up to date with current trends and issues, and with what is happening in the advertising and marketing industries.