Portfolio Class By The Book.
I thought I'd wrap up my "education" posts this week with a review of a text I initially thought would be useful to students and recent grads.
Portfolio Class With Clare by Clare McNally is a book I would have found useful when I was college student (in the early 90's). Unfortunately, when McNally says "portfolio," she means old school style, as in the physical cases with sleeves to showcase your work. Don't get me wrong. There is a need for a physical book, but you must have an online portfolio up and running before you even entertain the thought of looking for an internship or a full-time job. I found the "Internet smiley face" on the book cover to be a bit deceptive, especially since the book never really addresses developing an online portfolio. Remember, if anyone wants to see your work, they expect you to respond with a web address, not you requesting a mailing address to ship your physical portfolio. (Man, that brings back nightmares from the ancient days of advertising. Some agencies made this poor college student pay for his own shipping.)
Defenders of Portfolio Class may respond with, "The book was written in 2008." That's a little less than two years ago. Online portfolios were hardly new concepts then. (And I'm willing to bet that people with online portfolios in 2008 got hired much faster than people who didn't.)
In the opening pages, McNally says, "My focus in much of this book is on classic print advertising." "Classic" can also translate into "dated" and I've stated in previous posts that my creative director survey revealed that many CDs are looking for some new age thinking — ideas that translate well into multiple mediums.
But this is where I come to McNally's defense. Print campaigns provide better examples of what she is trying to teach.
"...I can show you how to generate ideas more consistently, how to judge work more objectively and how to keep pushing until you find something better," she claims.
Starting with how to read the creative brief, McNally offers creative exercises that a young professional may find helpful when creating his/her work. McNally's purpose is to help you create work samples if you lack experience. She currently teaches at the Miami Ad School in Amsterdam and she comes across as a pretty engaging instructor in her writing. For that, I can't give Portfolio Class With Clare a failing grade, but a young creative needs to know more than what this book offers to create a portfolio that will pass any ad agency's test.
Grade: C
To help you better your portfolio, read these posts in my Category Archives:
- A Better Book
- A Better Portfolio
- Interview Tips
Posted by Clifton Simmons at 3/5/2010 7:52 AM 
Categories: A better portfolio, Book Learnin', A better book, Jobs and Contacts
Tags: advertising students online portfolio entry-level portfolio schools
Categories: A better portfolio, Book Learnin', A better book, Jobs and Contacts
Tags: advertising students online portfolio entry-level portfolio schools
Dear Professor
Thank you for taking the time to 'grade' my book. As I always tell my students, constructive feedback is good!
I'm not surprised some parts of my book feel a bit dated. If any book about the fast-paced, ever-changing world of advertising was still 100% relevant 2 years later, that'd be weird! One ad year is like dog years in any other industry. Cannes judges now spend as much time deciding what goes where as they do choosing what wins what!
I agree fully when you say that in 2010, the online portfolio can not be ignored. And, as you rightly point out, a few years ago this was not necessarily the case. Way back then (talking 2007/2008) it seemed things were at a tipping point. The most efficient way for agencies to see your work was by clicking a link, but agencies LOVED physical objects, printed matter, something that made somebody stand out, made you remember them. I believe this is still relevant today, which is why I also suggest a 'combo' option: a physical portfolio (or 'idea' to introduce yourself) combined with an online portfolio. I also clearly state that it's up to each student to choose what fits their personality and work the best. Where they are interviewing and want to work is also a deciding factor.
Publication dates aside, I'd like to suggest that cutting my class might not be the best idea for beginners. Many of the issues I discuss are not time-bound. I dig into the core of what advertising is about. I talk about key problems I have seen students struggle with repeatedly over nearly a decade of teaching. In the 'new media' vs. 'traditional stuff' maze, I am offering a starting point. Where students take it from there is up to them. I always encourage students to read as many books as possible, to follow a variety of websites and to explore beyond advertising. This is the best way to learn. I think it is imperative that more professionals (like you and I) share our knowledge in a selfless, productive way and that students take the time to blend and edit this input to formulate their own opinions.
I also know that while the digital ability of many grads is improving, conceptual and strategic insight are not doing so well. A lot of juniors can twitter and app up a storm, but lack big branding, solid strategic advertising ability.
Portfolios don't focus enough on content. Is what's inside great thinking, regardless of media? This is something we instructors need to address.
While a book can offer a very thorough, in-depth point-of-view, I guess the most up-to-date advertising instruction and discussion will always happen in schools and ultimately online. Giving students what they need to know now ... not later. So, if you or any ad students out there have any more suggestions or questions, please mail me at planetclare@planet.nl
Keep up the good work with your blog!
Clare McNally
P.S. I never intended my "internet smiley face" to be a full-on visual synonym for "online". It was actually just a smiley!
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Also, just to clarify a short quote from your review ..
"My focus in much of this book is on classic print advertising."
These words do indeed make it sound like I'm ONLY talking about print. I take the liberty (and hope you will too) to quote the paragraph with sub-head to give a more accurate picture ... thanks.
"Print’s where it’s at ... for now.
My focus in much of this book is on classic print advertising. This may seem odd as we catapult forth into the age of all things interactive. But there’s method in my madness. There is nowhere to hide on an A4 sheet. It is still the best place to cultivate and learn about ideas – what they are, how they work, do they work? Also, when I talk about print campaigns and execution, many of the principles apply equally to entire campaigns across all mediums: consistency, freshness, getting the correct message across clearly etc. Using this one medium hopefully allows me to get my message across clearly. In print, the task at hand is also right in front of you ... a blank sheet of paper and a marker are all you need to begin. The format is realistic and manageable for you as a student. With a good printer, design programmes, digital photography etc. it’s a format you can execute professionally for your book. It is also a medium that can be experienced as it is meant to be, on a page, in a publication. And, when I last checked they were still handing out Cannes Lions for print. But really, what this is all about is ideas. Generating ideas consistently. Once you understand ideas and how to craft and control them – it won’t matter if you are using a marker or a mouse or a magic wand, as long as it works."
(BTW - Print also really was where it was at ... then. Print ad spend, was only officially overtaken by digital about a week ago. It still, however, makes up around 30% of all global ad spend ... and while it's an awards category and part of the mix in many larger integrated campaigns, why not keep it part of the educational mix?)
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Ms. McNally:
I want to take the moment to just thank you for your response. It prompted me to actually re-read your book, before jotting down my reply. First and foremost, I apologize for the title, “Cut this Class.” I did not dislike this book. And at first glance, the title may give that impression. So I’ve given it a more appropriate heading.
In my review, I stated there is still a need for a physical book. Today, an online portfolio is far more important, but we can debate about the industry being at a “tipping point” in 2007/2008. In 2006, I was looking for work and I got several requests for an online book. I believe Organic was the only digital shop I applied to at the time, so it wasn’t just digital shops making the request, which is why I was caught so off guard. So I didn’t have an online book and had no clue on how to put one together quickly. I tried to compensate by sending PDF files or PowerPoint presentations. Fortunately, Campbell-Ewald offered me an opportunity to return. So I didn’t have to go through those formalities, because they were familiar with my work.
It was a harsh lesson to learn, especially when I see myself as an experiential marketer and I try to stay on top of industry trends. So if I had picked up your book back then, it still would not have met all of my needs.
Based on the emails I receive, I’m willing to bet that the unemployed are almost equal to the number of students reading my blog. I feel their frustration, having been there multiple times myself. So I know they want honest answers to their questions. You’re right in saying that a book will never be able to keep up with the rapid changes in this industry. Still a book has shelf life (no pun intended.) Meaning, if people are seeking information at their local bookstore (some of us still do), I think they need to know what to expect. And if they are seeking a book that really addresses building an online portfolio, I haven’t seen it on the shelves yet (not to say it isn’t there).
And speaking of shelf life, “Book Learnin’ Fridays” started as my quest to read all of the books packed in my shelves. I’m a “book-aholic.” I buy them faster than I can read them. In every review, I acknowledge when they were written. In fact, my first review was a book written in the 90’s. I always ask myself if the information was relevant when it was written and if it is timely today. I feel as long as I look at it in that context, anyone can express an opinion about a book, no matter how old it is. “Confessions of an Advertising Man” by David Ogilvy should be required reading (published in 1963).
I also said I thought you were an “engaging instructor,” based on your writing. I think you’ve proven my point further by your quick response. I also said, “…McNally offers creative exercises that a young professional may find helpful when creating his/her work.” You also said advertising can be taught and I believe you. Your approach to tackling problems is the strength
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Your approach to tackling problems is the strength of your book, even today. Students who have never done some serious brainstorming could benefit from your approaches.
And finally, I have over 20 years of experience in direct marketing. Until about 10 years ago, my team created incredible dimensional and print pieces, where photographs of them in an online portfolio don’t do them justice. People need to open them up and interact with them to fully appreciate the work, so I definitely understand your point about agencies loving physical objects. But I fondly look back at that work as the “good old days,” when budgets allowed you to dream a little bigger. Today our dreams need to be much cheaper and a whole lot smarter.
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