Client List on Portfolio
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- Continuity1
deathboy:
Notes aren't cuting it for me, so I'll explain it to you another way.
Agency CD: 'We need a new copywriter with automotive experience.'
Agency HR monkey: 'Oh! Hey, here's this candidate, says he's worked for ... uh ... (looks on the About Me page and scans the logo grid/brand board) BMW, Škoda and Opel. Oh, and he's got reels for BMW and Škoda.'
Agency CD: 'Cool! Invite him for an interview!'
It's just another at-a-glance tool to get you noticed on the stack of dozens of other CVs and portfolios. Nothing about borrowing creditibility or bending the truth or anything like this.
- *cuttingContinuity
- I disagree. The whole reason you drop a name is to borrow their credibility. If that wasn't the purpose there wouldn't be a need for them.deathboy
- wouldnt the person just have good reels and have nice work for some auto companies. woudlnt need to see logosdeathboy
- ive just seen plenty of small fries try to pass local client off as corporate client with a logo or just a logo w/out any related work and its suspectdeathboy
- but to each their own. it does create a larger net but larger nets have more trash.deathboy
- example http://www.whiterabb…deathboy
- Continuity0
The whole point of a brand list or brand board (grid with logos) is to show which brands/clients you've done work for, irrespective of whether you worked for them directly or did it through an agency with a whole bunch of other people on the same project. Nothing more.
The best strategy is to show your case studies/portfolio pieces individually (in the Portfolio section of your site), listing not just you in the credits, but also the agency for which you did the work. For example, I do this on my own portfolio site:
Role: Senior Art Director ( <- your role in the project)
Agency: SCDP ( <- the agency for whom you did the work)
Client: Coca-Cola Deutschland GmbH ( <- especially good if the client is a holding or umbrella company)
Brand: Sprite ( <- does what it says on the tin)A list of brands and clients, or a logo grid (however you want to present it) can go on your About Me page without any agency credit whatsoever. It's really just an extension of your CV that says, 'Over the course of my career, I've done work for these brands).
This way, you sort the matter of crediting the agency, without sacrificing the obvious benefits of telling prospective employers or clients what kind of big brand experience you've personally got. No lying, or even truth bending required.
- and the point of showing large brand logos doesn't have anything to do with borrowing their credibility? I think first and foremost that is the reason.deathboy
- Not at all. It's not borrowing credibility if you actually did work on them. That's credibility acquired on your own, especially if the work was good.Continuity
- If you worked for (shit-hot agency name here), and you listed that on your CV, would you say it's borrowed credibility? Nope. Same principle with brand logos.Continuity
- doesnotexist0
i've never seen that. but, when i see a list of brands it's usually younger creatives.
- omahadesigns0
Hopefully you play a real role in the design, strategy. People tend to name-drop clients they work on small tasks for at an agency.
- deathboy0
If you did good work for a big brand you can show it in the portfolio. If you did shit work and are embarrassed you show the logo in hopes some prospective client will see the big brand and associate that brands greatness with you. There is always the production people or some third party company who takes all direction and assets and does the production leg work and than tries to show off the final piece like it was all theirs too. So really just about what truths you can bend and live with to sell yourself, or if you care about the types of clients you might get that fall for such things.
Personally I'd just show your parts and explain without fluff what you did and was you. If you do a logo list you should also start addressing everything as "we" change domain name to business name and rent a co-op office space or mailbox in a big city, call yourself an broad agency name and post both "office" locations too.
- ben_0
Go for it if you like. like others have said, it's good to explain your role - most haven't worked directly with the client and slapping their logos or names on your site claiming that "I've worked with x brands through my career" insinuates that you had a working relationship with the brand, rather than "I worked with these brand's assets over the years". I personally don't bother with it, but I understand that it can help reassure certain prospective clients that they're in good company so to speak.
- fyoucher10
Yeh, it's not your client but the agencies, so kinda incorrect to list them as your clients. Almost feels like you're making shit up to make you look better if you do that, but has the opposite effect. I'd think prospective agencies would look at that and have issues with it as well.
I list my clients as the agencies I work for (along with my direct clients). And then have a separate part for brands that I've worked on. In the actual project description, I list the agency and agency client, unless it's for a direct client.
Agree with everything Continuity said, if you can provide all of those details.