A series of firsts

First time experiences are always nerve wracking. The unknown, the unexpected, the fear. As a second year UCLAN student on my placement year, this was my very first creative placement. I’d popped into Absolute to show them my portfolio before starting, but I had no idea what to expect or what they expected of me! I arrived just after the Monday meeting, with my desk all set out ready for the next two weeks.

Once the first brew arrived at my desk I was away. My first brief was to create an advertising campaign, I was asked to come up with an idea to promote Toffeln shoes within the catering industry. Before I knew it I had five pages worth of ideas in front of me, I even surprised myself! As the week went on I was introduced to more briefs including branding for a magician and environmental graphics for Absolute. At this point I’d still not gotten onto my Mac! and before I knew it, my first two weeks turned into four!

I didn’t spend all of my time in the studio though, I was lucky enough to go out on location for a couple of photoshoots, another first for me!

I learned what actually went into art directing a photoshoot, and even stood in as a male model for the test shots! From hard hats to football boots, I was then also involved in helping out on the Manchester City Christmas photoshoot, but thats a secret for now!

Over the past month I’ve had the chance to hone my skills and gain some new ones along the way. There’s nothing better than coming away from something knowing that you have learnt a great deal!

Whilst working in the studio I was able to see the hard work that goes into a job and learned that it is the core idea that counts on any project before its execution. The team at Absolute are all great to get on with, and I was never short of a few laughs. It’s not just design I’ve learned about either, I made my first cafetiere coffee, and also won my first ping pong game (eventually).

I’d like to thank everyone at Absolute for giving me the opportunity of coming to work in their studio for a month. I’ve come away with a wealth of new skills, the knowledge of how an integrated creative agency works and the passion to create great ideas.

Now to go and tick some more firsts off my list!