Voxpop

What is the biggest deterrent to convergence between advertising and design, in terms of offering a one-stop creative service?

‘From an industry perspective, I think that there is still a lot of ignorance within advertising agencies about the richness and diversity of disciplines within ‘design’ and a tendency to lump it all together. There is also a reluctance to acknowledge the importance of other disciplines and a historic view that advertising leads the process – rather than being part of it. From a client perspective, I believe that there are huge benefits to all creative disciplines working together more cohesively – but I am not convinced that they need to sit in the same studio or be owned by the same group.’

DILYS MALTBY, PARTNER, CIRCUS

‘Quality, creativity. The fact is that 99 per cent of the best designers want to work in a specialist design consultancy. Similarly, it’s difficult to think of many top advertising creatives who’d want to work in anything other than an ad agency. And where the best people are, the clients and their business usually follow.’

SIMON RHIND-TUTT, THE TUTT CONSULTANCY

‘Advertising agencies cage creativity as a separate entity, often even putting it on a separate floor, creating a real demarcation line between ‘the creatives’ and everybody else. Design has a more open culture, where the creative thread runs throughout – as the old adage goes, a good idea doesn’t mind who had it.’

SIMON JOHN, PARTNER, ERGO

‘Designers are tea-swilling, jerkin wearing pseudo-intellectuals, while advertising creatives are frustrated ale-quaffing writers. In my experience, advertising is transient, whereas great pieces of design can be collected in museums, the two disciplines are fundamentally different, and quite rightly so. They should feed each other. In terms of a one-stop creative service, the ‘machine’ behind the ad creatives produces quality and finish, whereas in conventional design groups this finish tends to come from the designer. Because of this, regardless of a vastly differing fee structure, the way the two businesses are geared is incompatible. So a one-stop shop is usually two separate companies in the same building anyway.’

MARK HURST, ART DIRECTOR, McCANN ERICKSON