Situation:

● Access to jobs in advertising has historically required a huge cost in both time and money for those who want to pursue those opportunities.

● In 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement in the US awakened a need to provide access to top advertising jobs to everyone, not just those who can afford the time and cost of training.

● Clients are demanding diversity in the staff of their agency partners.

Brief:

Create a solution to offset the costly talent pipeline and barriers to entry for a diverse pool of aspiring creative talent.

Objectives:

To create a permanent resource for aspiring, young creative talent to learn and develop a portfolio at little or no cost.

What if we create a yearlong, on-site, tuition-free portfolio school taught by some of the brightest minds in the industry? We then could not only develop our own copywriters, art directors and designers but also might succeed in adding some fresh voices throughout the industry—voices the industry lacks, desires and very much needs.

To the two founders of the Academy, the need was apparent. One founder, the agency’s director of talent, noticed a decrease in available top young talent at the same time that diversity in creative departments became a virtual industry mandate.

The target was, simply, creative talent who cannot afford portfolio schools and the time required to attend a full-time school to develop skills.

When GS&P launched the Academy, we used various tactics to spread the word and accept applications. They included the agency’s social channels, personal networks, influencers in the Bay Area, and national and regional organizations focused on diversity and equity. We also leveraged the ad press with articles in trade magazines.

The Academy’s message at launch was that its curriculum was developed by an 18-year veteran of advertising education with a track record of placing thousands of creatives in the industry.

The Academy at Goodby Silverstein & Partners hired a full-time director and launched with a website, social media accounts and PR that garnered close to 300 applications. From the pool of applicants, 14 students were selected. Over the academic year, 37 instructors taught 27 different classes, including Strategy, Typography, Headlines and a collaborative Capstone class focused on solving issues in society. Classes met (and continue to meet for the second cohort) two to four evenings per week inside the agency’s San Francisco office. Students have 24-hour access to the building, with a dedicated Academy room replete with a printer, snacks and art materials.

Graduation for the inaugural cohort, self-dubbed “The Control Group,” was attended by over 100 guests, including family, teachers, and agency partners and founders.

For year 2, the Academy also received approximately 300 applications, and the 15 students selected are thriving.

The Academy has graduated one class of 14 students, all of whom received job offers in the industry, with four of them now working in GS&P’s creative department. The inaugural cohort included 79% people of color; the current cohort is 87% people of color. In some cases, graduates of the Academy not only discovered their creative voices but also discovered the industry itself. They are now lending their voices on work for big-name, national clients. Importantly, exposure to this diverse group has had a profound effect on the instructors in the program as well. Thirty-seven instructors have had the opportunity to hone their skills as creative directors and mentors. They have developed empathy for young talent and their unique struggles. The Academy has, in essence, become a training ground not only for the students and their future careers as creatives, but also for the teachers as agency leaders and mentors.