The website outlines all the key roles in the industry including copywriter, creative director, designer, illustrator and strategist to name a few. It also answers two key questions, namely is advertising for me and why advertising?
Advertising is both an art and a science. It demands professionalism, intelligence, creativity and innovation, which makes it one of the world's most exciting and stimulating careers. With advertising spend topping R35bn in 2013 and growth expected to be up by 5-6% in 2014, advertising is a vibrant economic sector that is constantly in search of talented people.
"The aim of the website is to encourage the youth to consider advertising as a career path. There is a misconception that you need to be creative or draw well to be in the industry, yet this is not the case. An array of skills is needed in the industry and we have people who have studied psychology who discovered that they have skills that are perfect for strategic planning," says Sarah Dexter, ACA Education Portfolio Chair.
"Advertising is a fast paced, creative, stimulating and fun profession that can be rewarding. It is a competitive field, where demanding clients, tight deadlines and long hours often define the job. In spite of this, the rewards are many - intellectual stimulation, sharing a common passion for excellence, the visceral thrill of being involved in a successful campaign and, of course financial reward for a job well done," says Odette van der Haar, CEO of ACA.
"Advertising is a combination of creativity, psychology, marketing, media, strategic thinking, mathematics and a multitude of other disciplines and where you can see and measure the results of your work. We are constantly in conversation with people at the helm of the industry and offer courses that prepare students for the real world of advertising," says Dr Ludi Koekemoer, CEO of AAA School.
The AAA School of Advertising Randburg Campus will be holding a series of career workshops during September and October for high school learners. For more information on dates and availability, please call +27 (0) 11 781 2772/3.
