Kathmandu:

In the world of movies, the director is often called the captain of the ship. In the world of advertisement, it is the ‘Creative Director’ who navigates the whole process from the beginning till the end. Creative Directors have a pivotal role from the very time of conception to the final execution of ideas.

Job profile

It is the Creative Director who meets the clients to know what they are looking for in their project, or how they want to promote their brand. It is job of a Creative Director to understand the clients’ vision and create and idea for the whole campaign.

Meeting the client is just the beginning; the brainstorming session goes on in the office. A Creative Director has his own team, that sits together to come up with an appropriate idea for the whole campaign. The team comprises art directors, copywriters, designers, visualisers, illustrators and desktop operators.

However, it is the Creative Director who has to guide the whole creative team to meet the vision. S/He has to initiate and stimulate creative concepts from each and everyone on the team.

But his/her job is not over with just the creation of the concept. S/He is the main participant in and contributor to each and every part of the process that results in the advertising. Things like model selection, the shooting and editing process — each and every part of the actual execution is supervised by the Creative Director.

Required qualifications

Bachelors/Masters in Fine Arts is the desired educational qualification. However, there are

other qualifications that a creative director requires to be able to carry on the whole process of creating a campaign and making it happen.

According to Somen K Das, Creative Director at Prisma Advertising, “aesthetic sense” and being up to date with the happenings of the ad world are very important for a creative head.

They also have to be in touch with the technological developments in order to be able to introduce them to make their advertisements better. Besides these, having an extremely fine ear for good copy and an educated eye for design makes one stand out among the rest.

Other skills that a Creative Head needs to have are —

• Strong presentation skills, writing skills and effective client relations skills

• Attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• They should also be inspired people-managers in order to maintain team spirit.

In Nepal

The advertising sector in Nepal is at its initial stages. Although it has been progressing in the last couple of years, it is yet to achieve international standards.

Das opines, “Lack of investment and specific mindset of the clients often makes the implementation of new ideas difficult.”

For all those aspiring to get into this field, Das advises them to go abroad for studies as it provides exposure. He also tells them to treat it more like a passion and not just as another job.

“You have to be ready to work odd hours as it is not a regular nine-to-five job. Creativity can not be restrained by time,” he says.

One could start a career by joining an agency as an intern, then one can choose the area of work as they go along.

A Creative Director’s salary can range from Rs 80,000 to Rs 1 lakh per month.