WADE HESSON

GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR
MacLAREN McCANN
PORTFOLIO NIGHT 7 TORONTO PARTICIPANT
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What are you hoping to experience at Portfolio Night?

“New points of view on the same old problems.”

Do you prefer to look at work on a laptop or in a physical portfolio?

“I like pieces of paper. Advertising is about nailing down ideas – turning thoughts into things. For me, putting it on paper makes this concrete. You’re committed, even if it’s only until the next sheet comes off the printer.”

What are your biggest pet peeves about the work in most junior portfolios?

“You see a lot of sloppy work. I don’t care too much about level of finish, but I notice the level of care. A well thought out linear beats a nicely photoshopped jumble. You have to commit yourself. Make your decisions in terms of insight, idea, and execution, and then do your best. Don’t let yourself off the hook just because you’re a student and you don’t have resources. The ads in your book have to have impact, however you achieve it. “

What’s the first thing a junior needs to know about working at your agency?

“No one cares as much about your ad as you do. It’s not their fault, but they just don’t. Be willing to compromise, but never lose sight of what will make the best ad in the end. And let people know when they’re hurting the work.”