Cold-shouldered at the careers expo: Advertising is no longer cool with kids
Eric Franken tells the sad tale of the time he was cold-shouldered by a bunch of teenagers at a careers expo – and suggests how adland can turn its image problem around.
I recently attended a careers expo at my old high school as a representative of the advertising industry… and just one (yes, one) student approached me. Was it my lack of branded stress balls, or is the industry facing a serious image problem?
So, there I was. Voluntarily spending my Thursday afternoon seated behind a folding table on an indoor basketball court.
To my left, a prominent Sydney university handing out brightly coloured bags like it was the Easter Show. To my right, a gap year company with a light show more powerful (and blinding) than the sun.
People hate ads.
Especially teenagers.
Therefore, teenagers don’t want to work for companies that make ads.
Missing the point IMO. It’s a question of ethics: the negative impacts of advertising – as a contributing factor in the increased incidence of anxiety, phobias, body-image problems and other mental illnesses; the creepy use of behavioural psychology and neurolinguistic programming; its allegiance to the outdated, dangerous economic theory of infinite growth – far outweigh the positives.
Young people, along with the rest of the world, can see that.
That’s a fair point T, but I just don’t agree people hate ads.
Did the 168 million people who watched ‘Dumb Ways to Die’ on YouTube do it because they hated it? And how do explain phrases like “Not happy, Jan” and “Kiss me, Ketut” entering the Australian vocabulary despite coming from ads?
I don’t think people hate ads. They hate bad ads.
I also think, despite our industry being the business of ‘ads’, that’s not all we do these days. Just look at the incredible example of non-traditional work that is ‘The Palau Pledge’. I’m sure a lot of teenagers would love to work for a company that made such a difference.
A fair point from you as well Eric, but you’d have to concede that the odds of actually getting to work on something iconic or non-traditional like ‘The Palau Pledge’ or ‘not happy Jan’ are astronomically low.
Sadly they are the exception rather than the rule and the vast majority of work is unimaginative, unfulfilling and serves no higher purpose beyond ‘help brand x sell more of product y’.
That’s hardly appealing.
Most teenagers don’t watch traditional media at all. I don’t even know what the Palau Pledge is.
Why would a teenager want a creating the very things they try their hardest to ignore in real life?
I’m sick of this idea that people only dislike ‘bad ads’. Go into any lounge room in Australia after 5pm and ask people if they like any of the ads they watch on their commercial break. Or on the radio as they drive to work. I’m sure you’ll find the answer is no.
People have a natural tolerance for ads because they’re ubiquitous. Sometimes you rise above it with great taglines or ideas like the examples you gave. But it’s quite literally one in a million.
There are entire businesses models built around products that people pay for just so they don’t have to watch or hear ads.
I try to avoid ads. i watch a lot of youtube videos and skip the ads as soon as i can. The trouble with most ads is that they are incredibly intrusive and often not that informative.
The most recent ad i gave feedback on, incidentally, was one advertising a Net-type company. Ironically i was interested in watching it to find out about the company when – bang! In the ad they showed a woman using the product while wearing a Palestinian Arab keffiyeh, similar to the one worn by terrorist Yasser Arafat..
I immediately stopped watching and rang the company – see? Interactive! – to tell them that someone wearing a terrorist symbol in their ad did nothing for their appeal or credibility.
I did not return to the ad but continued my viewing, endeavouring to avoid the ads.
I only really engage with ads when looking for something.
No. People hate ads. They’re a form of psychological violence.
We’re still talking about DWTD because it’s shocking when people willingly engage with our output.
Do your job. Take the money. Make a positive difference where you can. But don’t be naive.
Ha ha “psychological violence”
I bet you’re one of these people that calls people who are slightly conservative “psychopaths”
“Kiss me, Ketut”? What even is that? This is legitimately the first time I’ve heard of it.
Meanwhile “Not Happy Jan” was a good 18 years ago. Advertising used to be able to make stars out of performers – Lisa McCune appearing in the Coles ad, Dougie the Pizza Boy, Chloe Maxwell for Jeans West.
Those days are dead. We’re in a radically different culture these days.People under 30 aren’t watching broadcast media in the way they once did. I don’t see how they’re connecting to any of these ads or performers.
My hunch? This is a socially-conscious generation, raised on environmentalism, gender equality and diversity. Young people want to have impact and contribute to the world with purpose, not just as an economic driver. I don’t think it’s a matter of hours or of pay. Do they want to imagine their future hawking brands that don’t contribute to the world, even if it means harnessing their creativity and “kicking back”?
Advertising needs a re-brand if it’s going to attract that generation.
Maybe a guy sitting at a card table didn’t look very interesting to them.
I think the shine has been eroding in advertising and media for the past 10 years.
To your point on wages and starting salary’s its totally true. Especially when you then factor in the longevity of your career in this industry.Rising costs on HECS and living. For most the ad/media career is over by 35. The industry is struggling, Ads on seek are down double digit for the year, with real estate pipping it for May (understandably).
Teenagers are much more savvy about disruption and redundancies. Anyone that’s had a parent in advertising would have seen this as well.
Kids are always going to have crooked teeth.
The answers are in the article. All the industry needs to do to become a desirable employer is:
1) Actually pay staff (who would have thought it would be hard to attract people to an industry with terrible wages?)
2) Treat staff decently – that means paying them for overtime – see point 1
3) Behave more ethically (the kids are pretty switched onto this stuff)
If FB or Google had stands, they would have been swamped.
Students would have looked around and said to themselves: ‘Who on earth are ‘The Works’?
Perhaps? People in ad agencies work far too long hrs, that is for sure.
Nice article, good luck with your career
As the young masses turn their back on the marketing/advertising industry, to purse the sexy I.O. T’s in the world, I cant believe this wont turn into a brilliant opportunity for bright young kids to shine and dominate in the next decade…..hence why I am encouraging my HSC studying child to consider a carreer in our industry rather than law.
even the kids know that 35k per year is not where you wanna be…
Could it have anything to do with the fact the “glamour” industry could only offer a bloke, a plastic chair and a foldimg table noshing on the free food – as against your supernova light show on one side and the glamour of high tech in the defence forces (real life Halo?) on the other?
Bland sells bland perhaps?
In general, advertising has simply got boring. Ages ago, we all aspired to being the creator of a clever, fun, little 30 second film that the entire country saw and talked about on the bus the Monday after it and other campaigns launched the Sunday night prior. People talked about it, it was a natural topic of conversation. No-one talks about advertising anymore except advertising people. It was part of the entertainment on the telly. Sometimes, often, it was the entertainment that superseded the entertainment on the telly.
Good article Eric.
The reasons the ads can be so boring is that the clients get scared to do anything that is outrageous , audacious and monumentally creative. So they play it safe…..
Thanks Janet.
I’m with you there. Alongside the complete lack of interest the next generation is showing towards advertising, client bravery (or lack thereof) is another big issue we need to somehow find a way to overcome.
It’s definitely a perception issue tho – people see a stand labeled ‘Marketing and Advertising’ they think of broadcast tv and infomercials.
Young kids want to work for companies that they interface with daily and that hold cultural clout for them – like Instagram, Snapchat, Twitch & Google.
All of these companies are essentially Advertising (well, media but its all the same shit) Companies.
One of the best ways into those companies? Work for an advertising agency first.
Really good point, Roger.
I have no doubts that more kids would have strolled over if my sign said something like “Work with Instagram, Snapchat, Google and Facebook every day” (which, in 2018, is generally true).
Maybe I’ll try that next time.
The sad fact of the matter is that entry wages are very low and in the eyes of those who could consider it, advertising is well and truly on the nose. It’s just not cool anymore as there are better well paid options available.
Lets imagine for a moment they take the plunge and work the long hours demanded of them. Oh, and these extra hours are all unpaid; a sacrifice to earn your stripes for the future promising career they have yet to see. Then the race is on because their use-by date looms in their early to mid thirties when all of a sudden they are seen to be out of touch with the latest trends. Read: too old. Look around you Eric. You’ll see the pattern in every agency staff photo.
Not exactly an industry that’s inviting to join anymore.
I think kids these days are so much more aware of real issues like the environment, climate change, inequality etc. Advertising is seen as the pointy end of capitalism and its associated consumption / growth fixation. Think plastic etc.
I recall an ad I’d worked on coming on TV & one of my kids, at about 7 years old (now 22), said ‘you don’t have a very worthwhile job’. I agreed.
She’s studying to be a teacher.
Hi Eric
You should find out why.
a) What are the drivers of career choice, and b) how does advertising stack up, c) how well does the term advertising actually communicate what it is we do?
Advertising will always be a safe space for failed artists of some description. No shame in that. At least you don’t end up depraved, destitute, ravaged by syphilis and sans one ear. Well at least I have my ears.
It sounds like the kids were drawn to the other stalls based on the way they were marketing (advertising) themselves at the event.
Great article, Eric.
It surprises me that even with the runaway success of The Gruen Transfer, there still wasn’t any interest in the industry at the expo. Maybe people don’t watch that show because they like advertising… maybe they just do it so they can laugh at the industry instead.
“Your boyfriend is in advertising ? That doesn’t sound like a real job”.
Kids these days (as a big generalisation) have a social conscious, what positive impact does advertising ACTUALLY contribute (aside from an economic benefit)
Marketing 101 tells about product life cycle. Perhaps Advertising is nearing the end of it’s life cycle too.