TheCollective

the way things work at warehouse

I don’t want copywriters and art directors.

I want writers and artists. Give me people who haven’t had the traditional advertising approach hammered into them. Give me industry virgins—and I’ll give you work that looks different. Work that looks like nothing else in its category.

Traditional agencies are hurting themselves. Copywriters and art directors are never invited to talk strategy. They’re returning from lunch with a briefs sitting on their desk—a sad little papers that have been raked over by executives, coordinators and planners. By the time they get, it’s already half-dead.

A big part of my agency is what I call the Collective. It’s the sharing of power. While other agencies are running around with bits and pieces, I encourage my writers and artists to own it—to bring a voice, a look—to bring things that they like and to run with it. I don’t want them fumbling through award books and seeing what other agencies are doing. I want them reading Moby Dick. I want them to check out art shows. When we’re working with things we love, the atmosphere becomes flammable. And we ignite.



Clients are a big part of it too. One of our recent campaigns revolved around a real estate group—a category inundated with some of the worst advertising our industry has to offer—think building shots and business clichés. So the writers took a closer look at the people running the show—competitive types, almost at the level of athletes. We wanted that attitude in the mix. Art directors were messing around with some bold layouts, so we tied that in too. A week or so later, we had these sexy ads talking about victory laps, sexual conquests, and killing the competition. The client loved it. They had to, it was different.

Don’t bring back the wild west. There has to be a hierarchy. I’m there to teach and guide the next generation. But I want people to get closer to the edge. I can always bring them back in later.

As a creative agency, don’t expect brilliance to just tumble out. Foster the environment that let’s people do what they love first. Let copywriters be writers, art directors be artists. The work will come, and will be stronger because of it.

- James Baldi, CEO / Creative Director