Creatives are Kooks.

By: Olivia Errasti, VSBrooks Advertising

   One of the things that really attracted me to the advertising industry is the unconventional work environment. Advertising agencies are known for having playrooms and cool office designs with fun wall colors and some of the latest gadgets and programs. Yes, it’s different and most definitely fun to work in an advertising agency, or at least it’s very much so at VSBrooks Adevrtising, but it’s not just for the hell of it. To be a successful ad agency is to have forward-thinking, kick-ass creative. Creatives are asked to pump out so much work in such a short amount of time that in order to keep them producing fresh, quality ideas, they need room to bug around. Every single creative at VSBrooks Advertising has their own method of ideating, and from an outsider’s perspective, the process is pretty entertaining.
   Vivian Santos, Executive Creative Director, takes what I call the Omm approach. When she is brainstorming she retreats into her office, door closed, and does not speak to a soul until her chi has aligned and her mind is hyper-focused. Every once in a while, though, you’ll catch her with her door open. Vivian sits in her chair, leaned all the way back, legs spread out and locked forward, with hands behind her head as she looks up at the ceiling. You would think she was waiting for a police officer to pat her down for paraphernalia.
   Then you have Danny Timiraos, our Senior Art Director. His design process is probably the most normal, but that’s relative. Danny sits in front of his computer in a far away, forgotten corner of the office and clicks away. ALL. DAY. LONG. He is swifter with a mouse and computer than a teenage girl is texting away on her cell phone. Watching him design is about as interesting as watching a librarian reshelf books. They’re doing a lot of the same thing, but in the end everything is in its place and looks astonishing. Danny’s final product is clean, crisp, and beautiful artwork.
   Alejandro Barreras, Creative Services, has the most active method in our office. He’s got a desk with a comfy chair and huge, snazzy monitor. Yet he hardly sits there while he is brainstorming. Alejandro is usually doing one of three things while he is generating ideas:

(1) wandering around the office, taking everything in as if he’s seeing it for the first time,
(2) sitting on one of our couches, laptop where it’s designed to be, that is…wait for it…wait for it…on his lap, or
(3) shooting at a coworker with one of the fully automatic Nerf guns in our arsenal.
In case you were wondering, yes, we have worker’s comp.
   I don’t exactly know how our creatives’ processes lead to such wonderful work, but the proof is in the pudding. Their "beerstorming" (the act of brainstorming within an alcohol-fueled environment) and lollygagging has led to multiple awards for the agency, and as someone in account services, the best part is sitting back, enjoying the show, and sometimes even taking part in the Nerf gun battles. What do the creatives around your office do?