“You know I only have these shoes.”
The relationship between creative and creative director is a sacred, supportive one, a connection that encourages collaboration and values openness and vulnerability and HAHAHA no sometimes they suck, and sometimes they don’t, because people are made of human meat and sometimes that results in friction and miscommunication and stuff. And sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes, the relationship really is supportive and enriching*.
When such a relationship really is supportive and enriching, it’s usually because both parties have tacitly agreed to stow their egos, find happiness in each other’s success, and embrace the good and work around the bad. But hey, sometimes, “tacit” doesn’t need to stay tacit, and it helps to just come out and say it.
To solemnly swear it, even.
Thus:
A Creative Team’s Solemn Vows
Since it is your intention to work together as part of a creative team at an ad agency, in-house creative department, or similar establishment, place your right hand on this Pantone chip book and declare your consent before God and David Ogilvy.
Will you, Creative Director, accept that a creative should be able to defend their work — and that, in fact, being able to defend their work is actually a good thing — without being labeled “defensive”?
I will.
Will you, Creative, accept that there is a difference between defending your work and being defensive, and always do your best to keep your ego out of it?
I will.
Will you, Creative Director, promise to always give high-quality feedback, even if doing so takes a little extra time and effort?
I will.
Will you, Creative, agree to take that feedback gracefully, and accept that you’re (probably) dealing with someone more experienced than you and they might actually be right in a way you don’t understand yet?
I will.
Will you, Creative Director, accept that people other than you can have great ideas, and your creatives’ (probable) relative lack of experience doesn’t mean you can’t learn something from them?
I will.
“… Pass.”
Creative, ditto, vice versa?
Sure.
Will you, Creative Director, accept that not everyone is going to agree with what you say, and that as long as they’re willing to follow your instructions, sometimes that’s going to have to be good enough?
I will.
Will you, Creative, accept that sometimes you’re going to have to just follow your CD’s instructions, even if you don’t agree with them, because they’re the boss and that’s how it works sometimes?
I will.
(Will you, Creative Director and Creative, stipulate that the two above vows pertain to creative concerns only, and that no one should be expected to do anything they feel is morally or ethically wrong just because the boss tells them to?
We will.)
Will you, Creative Director, promise to make yourself available to answer questions and provide guidance, even if you’re busy, recognizing that doing so will lead to better creative output and fewer preventable problems?
I will.
Will you, Creative, promise to swallow your pride and go to your CD for help when you need it, rather than trying to fumble through until you get to the point where problems are far less fixable?
I will.
Will you, Creative Director and Creative, agree that creative work is both more effective and more fun if you both put your shit aside, agree that it’s a partnership and not a competition, recognize that you’re not curing cancer here, and just get on with the work?
We absolutely will… do our best.
For better or for worse.
And now, by the power vested in me as some rando on the internet who happens to have worked in advertising for a long time, I pronounce you… I mean, creative director and creative, I guess. What the mundanities of the ad industry have joined, let no man put asunder unless a better offer comes along, because loyalty and relationships are important but there’s no need to be stupid about it.
Anything I’ve missed? I don’t want to leave anything out of a pledge that is so very, very solemn and binding. I like to think that even in this modern age, a promise on a Pantone chip book still means something.
*And if you think you know who I’m talking about, you’re probably right. XOXO.