Comments on: CREATIVE YOUTH TEAMS

By: James Cooper

James Cooper — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:52:22 +0000

It’s a great point. And a few people have tried to do it, if not in exactly the same way (ie. a whole ‘youth team / dept) When I was at Dare we set up Dare School to try and get bright young things in. We had five people - we would have liked to have the full eleven-a-side but there simply wasn’t space.

I guess the other thing is like football the powers that be want results quicker than ever and it takes time to unearth the next Beckham (or Fabregas as I would prefer).

By: G

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:23:38 +0000

I actually work in a big agency that has been running things like you prescribe and for managerial purposes it works like a charm, but on the human side it seems to be lacking quite a bit.

Yes, you can have a factory cranking out internships to placements when you have a dedicated team and wealth of accounts. Some of those newcomers kill themselves despite the measly payments and make the mark, while some don’t. The place is renewed with new energy because we win -comparatively speaking- a lot more awards and the place makes your CV.

The problem arrives when you have crossed 2-4 year threshold with good work and the time comes for the agency to show some love back. They don’t have any, the budget is sub standard and if you have a problem making less money than your peers you can walk any time, there’s line of people waiting to take your place. They will build them from the ground up or show you the exit door. Unfortunately, once you have gained experience and gotten the hang of things, it appears the only natural thought is leaving. The numbers of people deserting to other agencies is appalling but the place stands, because they have relatively good CD’s on top, even if those leave every now and then.

It doesn’t seem, or feel right, but it’s more economically viable so that is how things work.

P.s: I got a 3 month internship in this place, I’m now on my second year. When someone comes up with a better offer I will walk, in the meantime I keep my CV in good terms and my saving’s account empty.

By: Justin Oswald

Justin Oswald — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:56:23 +0000

Interesting.

To continue your sports analogy, I think the best example of what you’re describing would be the Crusaders Super 14 rugby team. They consistently win championships but especially excel at replacing even top flight talent (Dan Carter) with more than adequate replacements (Stephen Brett).

They’re able do this, I think, because they have an excellent, simple structure of play that is well drilled but built to allow open ended creativity. And everyone from their feeder system on up plays to that structure so that when a young player steps up it’s that much easier to slot right in. For a feeder system to work well, your “senior team” and “junior team” CDs have to be in sync, it would seem.

(I might come off sounding like a fan, but I say all this with the hateful admiration of someone who supports another team. I do believe, though, that because of their structures the Crusaders are the most effective creative organization in world; they score tries through beautiful, creative interplay and they win championships.)

By: dave

dave — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:30:35 +0000

John. What I’m advocating is growing your own.
An ECD is usually too busy running a dept full time, like a football manager.
He probably hasn’t got the time, or the inclination, for training.
So he hires ready-to-work units.
Which is why colleges have a comveyor belt system producing homogenised product.
I’d like to have time to experiment, not just with young people, not just with teams
But hopefully something unconventional that might be capable of producing non-formula anaswers.
We used to call it the 3 month interview.

By: john

john — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:03:52 +0000

Sorry, what are we advocating here? The last great discrimination to overcome is age related. If you are good enough then age should be no barrier.
As for getting ‘weird and wonderful’, I’ll settle for connecting with the proletariat in a way that they understand and they are getting older. So I would suggest that agencies and colleges should start to attract the kind of talent, no matter what their age, that has the ability to communicate with what is out there in the real world.

By: john

john — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:10:18 +0000

That was an exceptional year for Manchester United, normally one or two promising youngsters might come through the ranks in any given year? for any club. Experience can become complacent, I’ll give you that, but in the creative world, where is this so called promising talent coming from, what colleges are actually worth their salt in nurturing potential? Come to think of it what agencies are truly worth their salt in bringing on this raw talent too?

By: dave

dave — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:00:35 +0000

Liam, I wish.
Matt, that’s exactly right.
Jack, I did say big agency, we’re too small to do it.
I can’t give you a job, but if you want advice and/or help, my email is: dav…@cstadvertising.com

By: jack

jack — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:29:15 +0000

Alright Dave put your money where your mouth is, we’ll come and see you next week.

By: Matt Longstaff

Matt Longstaff — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:46:20 +0000

Sounds like fun. We’ve always said that it would be cool to have a kind of “black ops” section of agencies too: We thought they could be staffed by graduates or young teams and they pitched for business alongside the main agency with crazy/fresh/new thinking. They would probably only win 1 pitch in every 50, but the work they made would be weird and wonderful and after a year or so the teams would be invited into the main agency or told to move on. All overseen by an open minded but professional CD obviously.

Could be fun.

By: Liam

Liam — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:36:03 +0000

Great idea, something you’re considering?