The always articulate and entertaining Danny G’s most recent column on Talent Zoo focuses on a recent job posting on Creative Hotlist from a famous Minneapolis agency for an interactive copywriter. From the posting-

“We’re looking for an interactive writer, which at (famous MN agency) means something very different. We are not looking for someone who thinks ads are the end all be all. Or who are really just trying to get their foot in the door of (our) creative department. What we are looking for is a writer’s writer. That means someone who
truly understands structure and grammar and style… they’ll also have to be crazy about the web and technology and all its potential.”

Danny takes this as evidence that the agency wants to segregate their interactive and creative departments. Danny writes-

“I think it’s very telling that even the most lauded ad agencies have no intention of truly integrating their departments, and make that fact plain to jobseekers…slowly, the dividing lines are being drawn. In other words, like their direct marketing cousins before them, interactive people are now occupying their own ghettos in traditional ad agencies.”

I understand where Danny is coming from, but I guess I don’t percieve the posting as negatively as him. Notice the job posting primarily focuses on finding a writer who actually knows how to write. Unfortunately, solid and conceptual long copy is something of a lost art these days. And it’s understandable why this agency would want a great writer for copy-heavy interactive projects.

Plus, this agency employs some of the best creatives in the country, and consistently creates innovative interactive. Maybe their star print and TV creatives are saying they don’t want to learn the Web, but that’s the creative’s problem, not the agencies. I guarantee you that talented, conceptual writers who are passionate about interactive are going to see their value and star status increase exponentially in the next few years, and the creatives who don’t want to change are going to look like washed-up celebrities.

Also, there’s nothing in the posting and no evidence that says creative and interactive won’t collaborate. So while I do agree with Danny that there are gaps between creative and interactive that we as an industry absolutely must bridge, the job posting that inspired all this debate seems pretty harmless to me. I think they’re just looking for a great writer with a real passion for interactive.

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