LIVE ONLINE COURSE
ON CREATIVE DIRECTION
28 NOV 2023 - 16 JAN 2024
Duration:
6 WEEKS
TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS
5:30 PM PST / 8:30 PM EST
Learn the strategic leadership skills to foster better client relationships, build winning teams, and thrive in the evolving advertising landscape.
Elevate presence, productivity, and team synergy under the expert guidance of Ari Halper, R/GA’s Global ECD & Head of Creative Excellence.
THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU, IF...
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YOU WANT TO ELEVATE YOUR CREATIVE CAREER
Take your multiple years of experience in creative advertising and leverage it in your next role. Transition smoothly into your next CD position with insights on leadership, strategy, business, and client rapport.
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YOU WANT TO GAIN CONFIDENCE IN A NEW ROLE
If you’ve just stepped into the position and feel like you’re struggling to succeed, we’ve got your back. Get empowered through insights from experienced CDs, guest speakers, and practical class work to build your confidence and feel at ease in your new role.
Ready to take the lead in the world of advertising?
Transform your creative prowess into strategic vision and lead the charge in shaping captivating advertising narratives.
Upgrading your career starts now.
Acquire visionary strategy mixed with team leadership skills online with hands-on expert guidance, real-time peer collaboration, and live industry insights from top guests.
From analyzing ads to real-world interviews and innovative tech projects, you'll master the art of strategic thinking, execution, and immersive customer engagement.
Gain working insight on harnessing creative solutions, presenting your work, and giving constructive feedback while exploring iconic brands like Nike, Apple, and more.
As your final task, you will integrate cutting-edge technologies like AR, AI, and 3D printing into a brand's creative direction, culminating in a comprehensive proposal, market analysis, and implementation plan.
HALPER LinkedIn Profile
- Global ECD and the Head of Creative Excellence at R/GA
- Led consecutive record-breaking performances at R/GA with impactful campaigns.
- Transformed FCB New York with award-winning ideas like Whopper Detour for Burger King.
- Contributed to Grey New York's resurgence, winning Agency of the Year.
- Spearheaded campaigns that made a difference, from E*TRADE Baby to gun safety advocacy.
- Garnered industry recognition, including an Emmy and Oscar shortlist.
What does a creative director do? Everyone has their eyes on them, and they have to build relationships, manage clients, create presentations, and more. Discover the very essence of their role, and embrace a leadership style that breathes creativity.
- What is Creative Direction?
- Main tasks, career paths, and levels
- What it means & takes to be a CD
- Learning from Darwin
- Never lose sight of the craft
Assignment #1: Idea Execution
Share an example where an idea was great but the execution wasn’t and vice versa and explain why.
You have a big idea, but you’re not sure how it will resonate with others. Dive deeper into storytelling, brand narratives, insights, and your strategies. Then learn how to keep building upon good ideas to make them great.
- Developing creative concepts
- Understanding and applying marketing strategy
- Aligning creative strategy with business objectives
- The intersection between client vision & creative expertise
- Workshop 1: Creative Solutions
Assignment #2: Ad Analysis
Pick your favorite ad created by someone else and try to identify what the strategic unlock was beneath it. Not the creative aha, but the strategy aha.
Learn how to hire for both creative and non-creative roles to create a powerhouse team to tackle your must-dos. Create a healthy work environment where diversity, training, and performance reviews support team efforts.
- Team management - how to hire and fire
- Choosing the right vendors
- Communication within creative teams
- Creative process optimization
- Evaluation and performance management
Assignment #3: Interview
Students get in pairs to interview one another while filming it.
Every team member is different and has various needs. Learn how to give better feedback to hack your company’s culture. Set the tone, goals, and time to give credit where it’s due.
- Effective feedback strategies
- Managing egos & empathy
- The credit conundrum
- Cultivating career development
- Workshop 2: Constructive Feedback
Be creative, curious, and caring. Learn to navigate unexpected challenges, transforming setbacks into growth opportunities. Embrace resilience, uphold accountability, and if at first, you don’t succeed, try again!
- Identifying creative challenges
- Root cause analysis
- Adapting to changing trends
- Adversity is your friend
- Workshop 3: Experience with Creative Directors
Repeat out loud: “Clients, no matter how uncooperative, are allies, not adversaries”. Master interactions, gaining trust, and using data to forge stronger relationships. Keep your clients happy while guarding your expertise.
- Understanding client expectations
- Communicating your vision and defending your work
- Building and maintaining client relationships
- Negotiating contracts and agreements
- Case study: Creative businesses that are known for strong client relationships
Learn how to be profitable without compromising creativity while growing your business organically. Take a look at how other agencies have succeeded and failed to get a better understanding of the business side of the industry.
- The economics of the creative industry
- Efficient chaos
- Great work leads to more work
- Every ad you make is for your agency as well
Hand the baton over to a project manager and get a better understanding of how to allocate the budget to include a PM if you’re too small to afford one. Figure out what sources to tap into for more money and how to pick a proactive PM.
- Production Budgeting
- Project management is your friend for all other budgeting
- Managing budgets and resources
- Balancing creativity with practical constraints
- Workshop 4: Project Management Case Study
Assignment #4: Pitch Scope
Look at the scope for a fictitious pitch. What’s right with it? What needs revising?
In the creative industry, it's easy for ideas to be copied and common for biases to get in the way. Protect everyone’s interest and be prepared for the most unexpected scenarios. Gain a better understanding of the legal and ethical pitfalls surrounding your business and how to work around them.
- Navigating ethical dilemmas in the creative industry
- Workplace ethics
- Navigating proprietary rights as a creative director
- Protecting your work
- Workshop 5: Copyright Case Analysis
Use every tool at your disposal! With new tech constantly reshaping the industry learn how to stay ahead. Leverage the latest tools and start working on your course project where you’ll create a presentation for a CD strategy.
- AI and ML in creative direction
- The impact of AR/VR on design & user experience
- Blockchain, NFTs & The Metaverse
- Trend forecasting and innovation
- Workshop 6: AI Prompting
- Case study: Companies applying emerging technologies to creative direction
Assignment #5: AI Prompting
The students are given an endpoint and asked to document prompting to try and get to that end result.
Explore the art of presenting. Know your stuff, avoid filler words, start strong, and engage your audience during your presentation. Close the gap between creating your vision and selling it. Find out how to say just enough to incite excitement.
- Pitching ideas internally vs. externally
- Rule of three - one over the line, one under, one on it
- Two decks
- Pitch theater
- Workshop 7: Presenting your weekend
You’re one step away from working in the field! Now it’s time to take in all of the final tips and tricks needed to stay ahead of the competition!
- Showcase your creative process
- Emerging trends in the creative industry
- Tips & tricks for creativity
- Stay humble
What our students say
"The group activities, they allow us to interact and exchange ideas, plus the way it is structured is challenging and mind twisting as we collaborate in different parts of the ideation."
"Overall I'm impressed with the level of detail and explanation around particular topics and subjects. There's a real depth to each module which for learning allows the information to stay in your brain."
"I really enjoy the format of the course. Lectures with real life examples and an ongoing case study. Also built in 20 minutes at the end of each class for questions is helpful."
"I enjoyed the structure of the class. I like how we learned about a topic and practiced it in the workshops. It’s helped me to apply what I learned!"