kavonjohnson
junior art director
What initially led you to advertising?
I studied graphic design when I was in high school and then when I was in college I got more in depth into communication and advertising design. Coming out of high school, I took a lot of humanities classes and social/cultural studies classes and I ended up combining that with my graphic design skills. I knew I didn’t want to just do graphic design, so I was drawn to advertising because ads always take into consideration a certain brand or goal to change perceptions. So I went into college and decided to see where advertising would take me. I definitely don’t regret it, I think it’s all really cool.
In advertising I still get to do all of the design work that I want to do while also working with brands to create a voice that they want to create based on their commercial goals and whatever is going on in society at that time.
Did you always know that you were creatively inclined?
Yes, even before high school I knew that I was creative. I wanted to be an illustrator at one point and make cartoons. But then, when I got to high school, it became more computer and design driven. That’s when I got into graphic design more. My curriculum was also balanced with a lot of other arts courses such as creative writing and humanities classes. Combining all of these different creative courses led me to advertising.
What specific design programs did you study in high school and college that you use today in your Art Director role?
Most of the programs that I use now are the same programs that I used in high school and college, mostly Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. It wasn’t until I got to college that I got really in-depth with each program, which was a huge help. Most aspiring Art Directors who go into advertising focus more on the concepting element, so studying graphic design programs at Pratt helped me a lot. I even use After Effects and other animation programs. You never know when you’re going to need anything, so my thinking is to learn a little of everything each day.
Do you have a primary influence or aesthetic when it comes to your designs?
Some people say that I have a very clean, minimalist style, but I think that’s a common theme among a lot of Art Directors. When it comes to designing I don’t think I have one specific style because to get different clients’ points across, you can’t stick to one style. For instance, if you’re designing for a very corporate brand, they usually have a very specific style with their fonts and typography. You can’t do this same style for a more consumer focused brand. All brands are different, so you have to constantly keep stretching your creativity in different directions.
Is it ever difficult dealing with pushback from clients or criticisms of your work?
No, not really. I think I got whipped into shape when I was at Pratt. In our advertising and design classes, our professors would rip our work into pieces and criticize every detail. Even when presenting advertising concepts, our professors would make us redo entire projects if they weren’t up to standard. So Pratt definitely prepared me for the advertising industry.
Do you have a favorite campaign that you’ve worked on?
Lockheed Martin is definitely my favorite project primarily because it took so long. It’s been in development since I first got to McCann. As far as other projects, I think they’re all great in a sense because they have all been learning experiences. Because I’ve been on several slower, more B2B-focused accounts it’s hard to pick just one from there. But outside of that, I had a time when I was working on Microsoft and created a lot of fun stuff. I did some work on Jose Cuervo that was really interesting as well. Some concepts that I’ve worked on could have been really cool, but it’s always when a client doesn’t want to buy something that the process ends.
To anyone who wants to come into advertising, they just have to know that whatever they’re learning in school about creative freedom is not necessarily true to the industry because the client always is going to have the last say. But you should continue to try to push the envelope especially early on in your career because the more the senior you get, the more client-facing you become. As a junior, you can be forgiven for really out-of-the-box ideas.
How does it feel to have won so many Cannes Lions for a campaign [Lockheed Martin, “Field Trip to Mars”] that you worked on so early on in your career?
It’s cool because it was actually mine and my partners’ concept, which was awesome. When you’re just coming out of school you think “I really want to win an award” and then when it happens two years out of school it’s very surreal. I think it’s awesome, but it can be good and bad in a way. Good because I’ve already fulfilled a part of my dream, but then it’s like you already have 19 awards and are still young in your career, which leads you to ask “what next?” There’s always another challenge, which can put more pressure on yourself. But overall, I think it’s a good pressure.
Are there any characteristics that you think define someone in advertising?
I don’t think there’s one type of person in advertising, which is what I love about advertising. Some people come from law school and enter advertising. It’s just so open and there’s so many different things you can do. A lot of times it really doesn’t matter what you studied or where you came from as long as you have smart thinking. Even then, there is no one definition of smart thinking because everyone has a different perspective to contribute to a project.
I think if you want to do advertising and make great work then you can do it. It’s career that is anyone’s game. Even when you brainstorm and come up with a creative idea, it doesn’t always come from the Art Director or the Writer. Sometimes it comes from an Account person or sometimes an idea can come from your best friend. You never know where an idea can come from.
Do you have any predictions for the advertising industry in the future?
I think the biggest trend is further incorporating technology and innovation into advertising. Advertising is fundamentally about storytelling. The old traditional way was TV, radio, and print ads. But now, we’re in a new era where the whole world is a canvas. With new technologies like virtual reality and artificial intelligence, there are so many new platforms to tell a story. Tech is going to merge with advertising and it’s already happening now.