‘I Solve Clients’ Business Problems’

Creativity Online has posted some interesting interviews with big chief creatives.

I haven’t read them all, but in the ones I have looked at I noticed a phrase cropping up:

I solve clients’ business problems‘, or some variation of that.

Now, I wonder when that became a reasonable thing for ECDs to say?

Some time over the last five years the job of a certain kind of creative director has changed from ‘I make sure the creative output of the agency is top notch’ to something broader and more business focussed. It also encompasses the less conventional side of advertising, where the solution might be product development, movies or different staff uniforms.

I suppose it’s also indicative of a change in the business, either because these guys are now closer to the results end of what happens, or they feel the need to make it clear that that’s the case.

I’d have thought that in some way that’s always been the job of a good CD (and when did everyone start becoming ECD’s? There were none ten years ago; now every old CD is now an ECD and the CDs are what group heads used to be. Why did that happen? Another post, perhaps).

Only now, with the chance that your client may read this interview, it’s good to make it clear.