How to Create an Advertising Portfolio

How to Create an Advertising PortfolioHow to Create an Advertising PortfolioIn this increasingly digital world, online portfolios are replacing traditional books that advertising creatives take to interviews. But they are not dead. Not yet. Some people still like to look at physical samples, especially if you specialize in product packaging, direct mail, or anything else that a website doesnt do justice to. So, if you want to create a stunning traditional portfolio, follow ansicht 10 steps. 01Buy an Advertising Portfolio CaseYou can find a standard black portfolio case at your local office supplies store or an art supply shop. You can also find a large selection online, even at stores like Amazon and ?eBay. They come in several different sizes but you wont need a very large one. Prices start at around $40 and can go up to several hundred dollars.02Purchase Extra Portfolio PagesYour advertising portfolio case may come with some starter pages. These pages are protective plastic over a black page.Go ahead and purchase a small pack of additional portfolio pages so you dont have to worry about running out. You never know when youll need to add a new writing sample in a pinch, and you dont want to be without some extra pages.03Add Your Advertising ResumeYour advertising resume should be the first page of your portfolio. Even though youll send your resume to potential employers or ?clients, youll still want your resume in your portfolio. You could be one of the hundreds of prospects so it never hurts to reintroduce yourself and your qualifications with the first page of your portfolio.04Decide On Your Best SamplesEven if you dont have many samples to your credit, youll need to pick out your best work for your portfolio. Dont be afraid of using rough comps, sketches, and other spec work.Many times, creatives have a great project theyve finished but the project is still in production and hasnt gone to print yet. You dont have that full-color brochure or that glossy prin t ad to put in your portfolio but youll want to show off your copy so you can land the next assignment.This is also a similar case for the budding creative who has no official samples to showcase at all. You can create SPEC ADS, which are ads youve created on your own. In other words, you can rewrite an ad for a major company with your own style, label it as a SPEC AD and industry pros automatically know youre showing your ability to write without you trying to mislead them into thinking you really reworked the branding of Nike, for example.Choose the work that best shows your copywriting talent, even if it is simple text on a piece of paper. Well dress it up in Step 6.05Create Divider SectionsLets say youve got three TV commercials, four samples of print (both brochures and print ads) and three samples of website copy you want to include in your advertising portfolio. Create divider sections to help your work stand out and not get lost in the clutter.In our example here, we would c reate a divider page with a heading for Commercials, one for Print and then another for Web (or Internet). Remember, copywriting is a creative talent so dont be afraid to get creative with your own portfolio.Dig into your old magazines and cut out various pictures from ads. Arrange these so that your divider page appears like a collage.This helps your sections stand out on their own and shows your creativity at the same time. It really helps your portfolio become more memorable, which is a huge plus when youre competing for a job or a client.06Dress Up Those Text AdsDont think your text ad isnt worth putting in your portfolio. You can dress up these ads and make them every bit as appealing as a full-color ad.For copy you dont have in final pretty form, you can simply put at the top of your page, In Production. For copy that is written as a SPEC AD, meaning you wrote the ad on your own to show your writing ability, title it SPEC AD.Remember, employers viewing your copywriting portfol io are looking at your ability to write. Theyre not hiring a graphic designer so dont try to pretend you are one by wasting all of your time designing a mock-up ad so that your copy looks more finalized. Even seasoned copywriters put their best work in their portfolio and that doesnt always mean they have the final printed version of the materie so they use plain text on paper.To dress up those plain text ads, print them on professional-quality paper. This is the same type of paper you would use to print a resume on.To really make that text ad stand out, buy a decorative background paper and offset the two by about an inch.07Arrange Ads for Easy AccessDont glue your brochure down to the portfolio page and then hide it behind the protective plastic. Be willing to cut into the portfolio page so that the person looking at your portfolio can have easy access to the materials. This means you may have a brochure flap sticking out of the protective plastic but your prospect can easily see your work.Your portfolio pages are also designed to protect your work. The last thing you want is a prospect wanting a closer look, so they start trying to feel the protective plastic back to get their hands on your materials.08Change Your Advertising PortfolioNever be afraid to change your advertising portfolios pages to a client or employers specific needs. If youre interviewing for an agency position that exclusively handles direct mail, load your portfolio up with direct mail samples. A hodgepodge of samples wont do you as much good as the types of materials the agency specializes in.Same goes for freelancing clients who need something specific. Your portfolio is your calling card and it will change with you and your prospects needs.09Take Extra ResumesYes, youre in the employers office because he or she looked at your resume and called you in for an interview. As mentioned before, you could be one of thehundreds of people going after the same advertising job.Stuff some extra co pies of your resume in the back flap of your portfolio case. Now youve got the first page of your portfolio with your resume as described in Step 3 and you can also hand a copy of your resume to the prospect for them to keep. This is especially handy in interviews when the employer or client just cant seem to find your resume.10Never Leave Your PortfolioIts the best portfolio Ive ever seen I just have to show it to my business partner.What a great compliment. But never, ever leave your portfolio no matter how much you want the position.Once your portfolio is out of your hands, you have no idea how its going to be handled. Portfolio cases can easily get damaged and even lost in an office. You dont want your portfolio to end up stuffed in someones inbox with papers all over it while it also serves as a coaster for morning coffee. And, agencies make copies of ads they like. Its a hard fact.You have a couple of options so you dont offend anyone. You can say you would love to schedule an other appointment to show your portfolio. Or you can even say youll be happy to fax over a copy of your portfolio, which is basically a black and white copy of all of the materials youve shown in your portfolio.