Mentorship matters in adland: future-proofing the industry

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The advertising industry has always been one that moves at speed. The energy, the pace and the creativity are often what draws the crowd — those individuals who find their professional home in the industry. 

It’s true that in advertising we value speed and agility and on-the-spot creativity. Our ability to respond quickly and cleverly is exactly how we showcase our creativity, our solutions and our understanding of the culture. We think big, bold and beyond. If you’re looking for somebody with a good work ethic, your average advertising agency is a good place to start. 

If an all-nighter (or three) is what it takes to get the pitch over the line, we’re there for it. The client doesn’t like or get the creatives, no worries — we work on the weekend to get it right. It’s dynamic and it’s exciting but — and here’s the big but — is it making us better creatives or merely faster ones, slowly burning out?

And more than just burning us out, are we sacrificing real creativity, solutions-driven design and creative work with impact and emotional resonance for the sake of speed, metrics and/or the holy grail known as going viral? 

There is no single answer, and the “solution” is probably a spectrum of sorts. And while I can’t control the pace of an entire industry sector, it leaves me wondering — and worrying — if we’re investing enough time and resources in mentoring the next generation of creative talent in the country. To handle the pace. To maintain — and exceed — a level of creative excellence that, as an industry, allows us to showcase our work next to the best in the world. 

Does mentorship need to be given more importance in the advertising industry? I believe it does. 

Let’s remove the creative leadership from attending every client meeting; let the client service directors, account directors and business unit directors handle that, unless we are discussing creatives. Let’s open more time for mentorship and leave client servicing to the client service teams.

The benefits of mentorship are manifold but the real magic of mentorship is not quantifiable in the way that we’ve come to measure our output. It’s in the synergy between the mentor and mentee, when both are aligned on the ultimate goal of the interactions: to be better creatives. Better, in this instance, meaning sharper, bolder, more critical creatives.

While every industry and profession probably has a need for more mentorship, I can only speak for what I know best. We need to future-proof the advertising industry, not by investing in fancier tools or faster AI, but by mentoring the next generation of creative leaders. 

Understanding that mentorship is not the same as guidance or instruction, but that it’s an investment of time, interest and attention, is key. It’s about helping the individual refine their talent, hone their skills, elevate their strengths and face their fears. Sometimes it requires kindness, sometimes compassion and often constructive criticism — but it always takes time and attention. 

For me, mentorship is about the individual before it is about their work, and nurturing the person alongside elevating the work they do. 

What does this look like practically? It’s taking time, again. It’s having conversations (and not just about work). It’s about questioning together. It’s about listening. It’s about sharing your own experience. It’s being candid about your shortcomings. It’s about connecting them to your network. It’s about looking beyond the output to the potential that lies beneath and nurturing that in a kind and strategic way. And it’s about doing it unselfishly. 

Mentorship is a way of giving back — paying it forward, if you will — to the next generation of bright, creative young minds who believe (because it’s true) that creativity can change the world. 

Marco Russolillo is the co-founder and creative partner at Cache Studio

The big take-out: Mentorship is a way of giving back — paying it forward, if you will — to the next generation of bright, creative young minds who believe that creativity can change the world.