In-House Creatives
Survival Guide

Your chance to @#$%!

YOU

If you know how.

9:30 State of Inhouse today
9:45 Improving your groups profile
10:15 Building better clients
10:45 Break
11:00 Staying Inspired
12:00 Lunch
12:45 Brainstorming
2:00 Brainstorming Exercise
3:30 Q & A

In-house is hot.

The Guardian
In-House
D&AD GLOBAL AWARDS
BLACK PENCIL WINNER
(only 1 of 2 awarded)

The Green Apron Book
Merit Brochures, Catalogs
How Design Annual
Starbucks Creative Group

Pepsi ONE Redsign
Packaging
GDUSA Inhouse Design Awards
Pepsi-Cola Design Group

Saucony Logo Redesign
Trademark and Symbols
GDUSA Inhouse Design Awards
Saucony Creative Services Group

2005 Global Media Kit
Brochures and Collateral
GDUSA Inhouse Design Awards
TIME Creative Services

Airtool Lines of Packaging
Packaging
GDUSA Inhouse Design Awards
Stanley Automotive Tools

Occupation Health Campaign
ADWEEK Creative Coverage
Group Health

IMPROVING YOUR
GROUP’S PROFILE

How to set the tone.

An identity.

“It’s important for an in-house creative
department to develop a mission and vision
for what you want to be, and it’s not a bad
idea to come up with a cool name.”
-Joe Schneider, Creative Director, Disney Yellow Shoes

Mission Statement.

“To produce effective, strategic, high-quality,
creative, branded communication materials
that meet our clients’ business objectives and
deadlines.”
-Mission Statement, Brand Doc’s

Fly on a wall.

All in the presentation.

“Creativity lives here.”

“We’ve had some really creative cubicle
designs; the kind of thing that I don’t
think anyone else in the company can
get away with.”
-Phil Ovuka, Director, Media Creative Services, GEICO

“We’ve added music to the space—
everything from classical to techno. We had
fluorescent lighting, and now we’ve added
floorlamps.”
-Justin Knecht, Senior Manager of Design Services,
Binney & Smith/Crayola

How to promote
yourself internally.

Capabilities brochure.
Promotional campaign.

Open house.
Workshops.
Display work.

Film festival.
Blog.
Competitors work.

If you have no access to
the clients - ask for it. If you
can’t get then teach whoever
does get access how to
become an ally.
BUILDING BETTER
CLIENTS.

How to be accepted as an ally.

“We’re part of the marketing division. We
deal with them on a day-to-day basis.
We regard them as a working partner.
That’s the luxury you get with an in-house
agency—we have as much say in what
goes out the door.”
-Joe Schneider, Creative Director, Disney Yellow Shoes

Friends vs. foes.
Teacher vs.creative.
Humor.
Humility, deference & genuine interest.

“The ultimate goal is to build a more
collaborative environment so the creative
people and strategic people are able to
support each other. You can call it utopia
if you want to. Ultimately, that’s where
business will find the most benefit out of
having an in-house creative department.”
-Tim Hale, Senior Vice President, Fossil Creative

Your role.
No to “No.”
The results.

Give ideas no one asked for.
Post-job evaluation.
Well-crafted brief.

How to speak suit.

The lingo.
Be specific.
Tangible vs. intangible.

Objective vs subjective.
Results vs the means.

“We really try to teach our designers
that when we’re talking to our business
partners, talk dollars and cents, talk about
the objectives in terms of retail… As long
as we approach it with that kind of mindset,
and business can see we’re approaching
it with that kind of mindset, they’re much
more apt to give us more leeway.”
-Tim Hales, Senior Vice President, Fossil Creative

How to teach suits to speak creative.
Your language
Gut feelings.
Problem-solving urges.
Resist the kitchen sink.

“We have a class that we teach to the
new marketing people. It’s called ‘Fueling
Creative Fires’ and we talk about our
thinking process and we teach them how
to criticize creative. We don’t need to hear”
‘Is that the best color, the best photo,
the best typeface?’ Those are things we
went to school for. They have to trust our
professionalism on those things…

…The message that we’re giving them
is: ‘Ask yourself, does it ring true? Does
it speak to the consumer? Is it single-
minded? Is it a jumble of too many
messages?’ Those are the kinds of things
we need to hear from them.”
-Joe Schneider, Creative Director, Disney Yellow Shoes

Living with the brand

Define the brand.
Develop the standards.
Put the standards in writing.
Be a brand expert.

“I can describe Fossil’s core brand values
in four or five single words. Fossil’s about
vintage. Fossil’s about creative design.
Fossil is for the young, lifestyle consumer.
Sense of humor. Eclectic. All these things
define everything we do.”
-Stephen Zhang, VP/Fossil Image Director

Control vs guide.
Resource vs The Gestapo.
Stay in touch.

Making Presentations

Ridiculous request.
Get approved an idea you like.

STAYING (OR GETTING)
INSPIRED

Talk to customers, staff,
competition.
How to keep morale up.
Stimulation without caffeine.
Recognize achievement.
Have fun.

How to keep it fresh.
Talk to everyone.
Shop the competition.

Industry pubs and web sites.

Award books - just because
an piece made it in to the
award books does not mean
it was effective or strategic.
Don’t turn the brain off when
looking at them.
It’s an annual not a manual.

Industry marketing conferences.
Industry marketing blogs.
Creative industry pubs,
awards books, and Web sites.

Develop a well-furnished
mind.

“Well-furnished” mind.

Dealing with budgets and
schedules.

How to succeed on
a limited budget.
Think Positive.
Purchase inspiration.
Question the medium.
Don’t overdue it.

How to justify a bigger budget.
Carefully.
Comparisons.
The return.
Elsewhere.
“Bang for the buck”.

Make sure everyone knows
your capabilities.
Ask for the assignment.
When you get it, ace it.
How to beat a deadline
Set it yourself.
Get help.
Trick yourself.

How to keep desirable
projects in-house.
Your capabilities.
Ask.
Ace it.

“...in most cases, because we’re so close
to the brand, we’re quicker to come up with
solutions, because they (outside agencies)
have to do all the research on the brand,
learn all of the history of the brand and
do the fact-finding, before they can come
up with a solution that takes it to the next
level.”
-Tim Hale, Senior Vice President, Fossil Creative

Notes
Brainstorming.
Larry Asher

Q+A
Deal with unanswered or
new questions that have
cropped up during the day
Fill out evaluations
Brainstorming Exercise

Q/A

Thank you.