Alumni Spotlight – Lindy Gross
Creative Circus Alum (1999) - Managing Creative Director at the American Cancer Society
#AlumniSpotlight The Creative Circus graduates the most sought after creatives in the industry. Take a moment to read about the lives, careers & personal stories of some of our fantastic alumni.
Lindy Gross – Managing Creative Director at the American Cancer Society
Creative Circus Alumna- Copywriting (1999)
Advice to the Graduating Class:
You don’t have to take the first job you get offered. I know, that sounds a little scary. But your first gig can make all the difference, so take the time to find the shop that’s right for you. One way to do that is to have a campaign in your book that acts as a sort of litmus test. Make it something you love, the kind of work you want to do more of. The agencies that hate it are probably not the ones you want to work for. The ones that dig it probably are.
Another tip? Learn to be a great presenter. Usually when you’re a junior, your CD will do all the client presentations. Which makes it tough to practice your skills. So get in on as many meetings as you can and just watch – how your CD presents, how others present. What they say and do. And when you think you can run with the ball, ask your CD for a chance to present. Being good at it is essential to getting ahead, and the only way to get good at presenting is to do it.
Advice to the Incoming Class:
People will tell you that your book is all about the ideas. This is true. What is also true is that, in the real world, what happens after you have those great ideas can make or break you. So, over the next two years, while you’re toiling away on those killer concepts for your book, don’t forget about your craft. Writers, remember to write. Short copy, long copy, headlines, bumper stickers, dialogue, love notes to your dog – I don’t care. Just practice. You too, art directors. Know how to kern type, embrace color theory, and care about the details, right down to your use of quotation marks. My grandma can come up with a cool idea. But she can’t make a beautiful ad.
Describe a monumental, light bulb moment for yourself while you were at The Circus:
This wasn’t so much a light bulb moment as a slow-burn-over-a-year realization, but something I think is worth sharing. Back in 1999, Norm almost didn’t let me graduate. He thought my book was “too weird”. But I talked him into it (successful ad job #1) and a few months later I had a job at an agency, with an amazing CD, where I worked on a campaign that got into the One Show. So, the light bulb? Stay true to yourself. Because it’s totally okay to be weird (as long as you’re on strategy).
Favorite Project (post Circus):
I’m gonna go ahead and make this more conceptual and less tangible. My favorite projects have always been the ones that helped other humans – lowering accidental handgun deaths, feeding hungry people, helping women in developing nations lift their families out of poverty. Did these projects win awards? Actually, yeah, a few did, but that’s not the point. The point is, these projects let me stay true to myself. As an idealistic 16 year old, I wanted to change the world and I knew advertising had the power to do that – which is why I got into this crazy business. The moral of the story? We all have our reasons for being here. Stay true to yours, and most of your projects will be your favorites.