PRESS OFFICE
LISTING
Homenewsabout usContact UsWebsite
News

FCB Johannesburg invests in The Imagination Lab

FCB Johannesburg staffers have invested considerable time and intellectual capital in Sandton's Urban Lab and Alexander's Alex Lab after being approached by The Imagination Lab's Yemeshree Moodley to share their experiences with students at both facilities.
FCB Johannesburg invests in The Imagination Lab

The Imagination Lab network, to which the Urban Lab and Alex Lab both belong, is a Vega The Brand Communications School initiative aiming to develop, amongst disadvantaged communities, those skills used in the advertising and marketing communication industries, and then assisting graduates to secure internships with agencies and other industry suppliers. It is one of the institutions FCB Johannesburg supports as part of its corporate social outreach programme.

In order to provide students with valuable insights into daily life in the industry, what is required from the various job titles and positions, and the benefits and the pitfalls of working in the industry, Moodley asked FCB Johannesburg for various staff members' assistance.

"Imparting experience and knowledge to the students is the best way of helping them, and FCB Johannesburg's input proved invaluable in this respect. A debt of gratitude goes to everyone from the agency who gave precious time in their hectic schedules to teach, lecture, encourage and support all the students at both labs," she said.

The following staff were part of the lecture programme:

  • Nkwenkwe Nkomo, Group Chairman - Inspirational career and life lessons.
  • Mary Palmos, Human Resources Manager - How to get the job you want.
  • Heather Wolmarans, Traffic Project Manager - What is Traffic and what role does it play.
  • Alistair Bruyns, Senior Strategist - What is Strategy and what role does it play.
  • Leigh Krain, Senior Copywriter - What makes a great copywriter.
  • Wakhile Sithole - TV Producer - TV Production.
  • Klasie Wessels - FCB Johannesburg Chairman - FCB South Africa: The history, the clients, successful pitches, the highs and the lows.
  • Greg Cohen, Copywriter, and Kush Chetty, Art Director - Your career, what inspires you, retaining and building creativity, how to build a successful portfolio.
  • Lindiwe Dlukulu - Business Unit Director - The function of client service; working with clients and other departments from brief to finished ad.

    Below is some of the feedback from those who benefited from the sessions.

    Mpho Ledwaba
    Mpho Ledwaba

    The FCB guests lecturers were very insightful and honest about the industry. I was incredibly impressed with the achievements that the company has accomplished. They have facts and presented them in a very eye catching way. I learnt that when you in client services you not only dealing with paper work paper work and answering the phones, but you are the face of the company as you represent the Agency at the client and the client at the agency. So they have a very crucial role in the agency. An Art Director and Copywriter have to have some similarities as they can display their work as if it's done by one person. "They need to have a common thing" and that "every Art Director has a Copywriter". I was impressed that FCB is now giving women opportunities and that there's a department run by a women.

    Jerry Motheshane
    Jerry Motheshane

    The lectures were very interesting and helped me to know more about the industry. I learnt that keep your work simple and understandable, that teamwork and not making enemies is important in the industry. What impacted me was how they generated their ideas and their inspiration.

    Pakiso Albertus
    Pakiso Albertus

    The lectures were fun, because we got to know more about FCB and how it operated. What I liked the most was them sharing their own experience with us and telling us how they made it to the top. I learnt that there are many opportunities and careers you can look into within the industry, and that a campaign needs a lot of work and energy, and how you can work yourself to the top. The client service lady Lindiwe was outstanding the way she presented herself and her work, she made me proud to be a client service lady.

    Mpine Tsotetsi
    Mpine Tsotetsi

    A lot of times I thought I knew what copywriting, art direction and client service were but when they told us about their jobs it's different from what I knew. I now know that I want to be a copywriter and what is needed to be one. The people who came were motivating.



    Details of the Imagination Lab are:

    The Imagination Lab
    Tel:011 883 0130
    Fax: 7846792

  • 8 Jan 2007 10:00

    <<Back