Apple looks to bring more advertising, marketing pros in-house
AdAge reports that Apple is looking to nearly double the number of in-house employees tasked with coming up with creative advertising materials for the company's marketing efforts. According to one outside executive who claims to be familiar with the initiative, Apple's marketing group over the past few years hasn't grown in proportion to the rest of Apple. This purportedly stems from Steve Jobs' desire to have Apple viewed "as a products company, not a marketing company."
As reported, Apple has begun hiring ad execs with creative experience to help brands and agencies create better ads for its iAd network. But it is now seeking talent to work on the brand itself and wants to bulk up its ranks of high-level creative directors and heads of innovation. As part of its recruiting efforts, Apple has approached senior creatives known for innovative work.
While many people might view working at Apple as a dream job, the AdAge report astutely points out that working for an innovative client like Apple doesn't necessarily lend itself towards an environment where a creative can truly let his or her creative juices flow.
Touching on a similar topic, former Apple employee Jeff Zwerner recently explained during a fascinating interview with FastCompany that hiring designers at Apple can sometimes be challenging.
The hardest thing at Apple is recruiting. You are going to the best designers in the world and saying, "Can you imagine coming to Apple and putting pictures of things on white, with one line of typography--for years?" I really admire the people who stayed there, and their ability to see the big picture.
If you happen to be wondering who Zwerner is, he worked at Apple for about four years, spending two years as a Creative Director for Packaging and just under two years as a Senior Art Director.
In any event, it'll be interesting to see how Apple's marketing hiring spree manifests itself. Over the past year or so, the company has put out an advertising campaign or two that, according to many critics and fans, haven't lived up to Apple's typically high standards.
Recently, though, Apple has drawn praise for its series of heartfelt and musically oriented "Every Day" ads.
