The Secret to Success in Advertising: Unleash Your Inner Jerk. #JustKidding
In the wild, cutthroat world of creative advertising, there’s one trait that separates the winners from the losers, the rainmakers from the wannabes, the heads of departments from the coffee-fetchers. That trait, dear aspiring ad exec, is being an unapologetic jerk.
Yes, you heard that right. If you want to climb the ladder in this industry, forget about being a team player, a collaborator, or a visionary. Those are for the weak. What you need to be is a full-blown, self-centered, ego-driven jerk who is allergic to compromise and believes in their god-given right to be right—always.
The Power of Being the Jerk
Being a jerk in creative advertising is not just a career strategy; it’s an art form. Picture this: You walk into the room, a brainstorming session is underway, ideas are being tossed around like confetti at a ticker-tape parade. The creatives are excited, the room is buzzing. That’s when you, the master jerk, drop the bomb.
“Wow,” you say, with just the right amount of disdain, “that idea is so bad it actually gave me a headache.”
The room falls silent. Everyone is now focused on you. In that moment, you’ve won. Not because you had a better idea, but because you successfully demolished someone else’s. The beauty of being a jerk is that you don’t actually have to be creative or talented. You just have to make everyone else feel like they aren’t.
It’s Not About Ideas, It’s About Authority
In creative advertising, ideas are secondary. What really matters is who can assert their dominance. And what better way to do that than by constantly undermining others? The jerk’s guide to success involves a simple formula: Shoot down every idea, but offer nothing in return. This ensures that when you finally do say something—anything—it will be treated like the second coming of David Ogilvy.
How to Be a Better Jerk
If you’re not naturally a jerk, don’t worry. You can learn. Start by interrupting people mid-sentence. This not only throws them off their game but also shows that you have absolutely no respect for their time or thoughts. Next, always use phrases like “Let me stop you right there” and “I’m going to be brutally honest.” The key is to emphasize the “brutal” part. No one cares about the “honest” bit.
And remember, feedback is for the weak. If someone dares to critique your work, you don’t listen—you retaliate. After all, why waste time improving when you can spend it pointing out how everyone else is worse than you?
The Benefits of Being a Jerk
Let’s face it, being nice is overrated. Nice people get stuck in endless revisions, trying to accommodate everyone’s opinions. Jerks, on the other hand, steamroll over objections, leaving a trail of bruised egos and half-baked ideas. But here’s the kicker: those half-baked ideas still get approved because no one wants to challenge the jerk.
Plus, jerks never get stuck doing the grunt work. They delegate (a.k.a. dump) tasks onto their colleagues, making sure they always have time for the important stuff—like taking credit for the team’s hard work at the client meeting. "Hey, look at me and all of my amazingness!"
The Final Jerk Word
In the end, the secret to success in creative advertising is simple: Be a jerk. Not just any jerk, but a self-righteous, omniscient jerk who is feared and respected in equal measure. You don’t need to be the smartest, the most creative, or even the hardest working. You just need to be the loudest, most obnoxious person in the room.
So go ahead, unleash your inner jerk. Your corner office awaits, you big jerk.
Just kidding. Don't do anything I wrote above. Don't be a jerk. Ever. Just proudly be yourself, stand up for what you believe in, be kind to others and you can go as far as you want to in the business of advertising. Besides, jerks never get invited to happy hour.
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4moJason, thanks for sharing!
Executive Creative Director, Copywriter, Medicare Marketing Visionary, Stories Wrangler, Boo Boo, Dad, Buddy, Therapist, and Man's Best Friend Award Winner
4moSomething tells me this comes from experience. i’ll never forget my first Creative Director. I hated that guy.