Interview with:Ron Cramer [rcramer]
ADVERTISING
 | What is your specialty: creativity, contact, or research? Creativity in all aspects of advertising, on the art direction side. |
| Please list some brand names or clients that you have worked for. My client list covers several different areas from consumer to trade.
National Consumer brands: Corona beer, Pacifico, Miller Lite, Miller Chill, Special Export, Beefeater Gin, Kahula, B&B, Canadian Club, Fris vodka, RJ Reynolds– Now, Winston select, Camel
Misc: Mutual of Omaha, Ace hardware, Rustoleum brands, Moen faucets, Hyatt, AARP, Fidelity investments, H&R Block, Highlights.com, Searle, SFI forestry group, Cooper tires
Food: National Pork Board, American Lamb Council, Rich Foods, Promise spreads, Ponderosa Steakhouse
Local Chicago accounts: WGN sports, Cadillac dealer group, Chevrolet dealer group, YMCA local, Jiffy Lube, ATC theater company |
| Have you got a blog or web page? Some of my work can be found on www.creativehotlist.com/rcramer |
| What do your clients value more, strategy, creativity, design, or return of investment? All of the above. Creativity and design, executed from strong strategy always brings a return of investment and more work. |
| The word 'creativity' is much-used in advertising, yet most commercials are annoying, why is that? I think with so much competition in the market place, clients are trying too hard to get consumers attention at the cost of memorable smart creative. What ends up happening is a confusing, annoying mess. That is not to say that all clients fall into this trap, there are still several brands doing great work. |
| Can a bad advertising campaign sell well? Yes, how else can you explain the plethora of abysmal ads we are assaulted with daily? |
| Which advertising agencies and directors seem the best to you at this moment? The list changes daily. The strongest ones seem to truly grasp the idea of integrated marketing. Several claim to be, but only a few actually are. |
| How do you respond to the classic quote, "I love the idea, but right now's not the time"? You don't really love the idea, if you did you would have bought it as is. |
| What brings you the most satisfaction: when your advert pleases your boss, your client, your friends, or your mother? A job well done that sells product. It does help if mom likes it, even though she still doesn't get what I do. |
| How do you see the transition between traditional advertising and online advertising? It's getting better as the internet matures. |
| Are people in advertising paid too much? It's all relative. Should we be making more than police, firemen or doctors. No. But at least nobody dies from the result of our incompetence. |
| Is advertising merely spam? Yes, but sometimes it's made to look more attractive. |
| Have you ever felt cheated by adverts? Yes, but I hold firmly to my one strike rule. |
| What is your favourite thing about working in advertising and what is your least favourite? My favorite thing is coming up with ideas and bringing them to life. Sure there are things I'm not fond of, but it is the price for doing what I love to do. |
| Do advertising festivals help to improve the industry, or are they only ways for the elite to pay homage to themselves? They are both the bar and the back pat. A nice perk for doing your job well. |
| When you select an intern to work, what quality do you deem the most valuable? Heart. Attitude. |
| Brand names as generators of content hardly ever have success: is the online world different in this sense? No. |
| Does the public buy the product or the product image? Image first, then if the product doesn't measure up, the former doesn't matter. |
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Ron Cramer
Evanston Illinois
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