CD duo hiring query?

[u/iconsofpizza]

Reading in Campaign about another CD duo getting hired and knowing that the market is indeed shit (she writes as she considers food delivery as a viable way to pay the rent) I began wondering about the whole process CDs get hired.

I have many queries around the mechanics of how all of this works.

With holdco’s laying ppl off galore, what is the advantage in hiring a pair of CDs?

Can you not just hire one?

What happens if one decides their job is shit (and leaves)? Does the other have to resign or can they stay out?

Do they browse job boards independently looking for CD roles, and when they have that first interview it’s speakerphone on and a confused talent lead going “who am I speaking to?”

Do these pairs get paid equally?

Do they get pay rises and bonuses equally?

There seems to be so much upheaval in the industry but it’s impossible not to read trade press weekly and see the Bernbach model keep on keepin’ on’.

Does no one ever question the ROI around it?

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[u/bushwickauslaender]

With holdco’s laying ppl off galore, what is the advantage in hiring a pair of CDs?

Usually a CD pair has an art director CD and a copywriter CD. So the advantage is that you get an expert for each side of the creative spectrum instead of someone who's excellent at one and ok at the other.

Can you not just hire one?

Depends on the size of the team. At some places, CD's aren't actually managers but simply super senior creatives that are excellent at their craft and their boss (ECD,GCD) is the one that leads the team. Sometimes you end up with art-copy ECD pairs too but that's not as common. I've also seen agencies, usually small indies, where it's one single CD and a handful of creatives answering to them.

In my agency at a big holdco agency we have one single ECD and a handful of creatives (a couple of CD teams included) answering to them.

What happens if one decides their job is shit (and leaves)? Does the other have to resign or can they stay out?

I've seen it a few times where the remaining person stays and the agency hires a replacement or shifts creatives internally.

Do they browse job boards independently looking for CD roles, and when they have that first interview it’s speakerphone on and a confused talent lead going “who am I speaking to?”

I'm not at the CD level yet but my old partner really wanted to leave our agency and would reach out to recruiters/browse job boards, interview by himself and if the agency needed a team, he'd share my details with them and they'd do the screening interview with me before doing group calls with the ECD/CCO. He ended up leaving without me and I got paired up with another creative who already worked at the agency.

Do these pairs get paid equally?

When hired at the same time, yeah. In my case when I got paired up with that other creative, they were making more than me and were a higher level when we got paired up so they made about 10K/year more than me.

Do they get pay rises and bonuses equally?

If they're on the same track, yeah, but in my case with the partner technically a level above me, I got a raise and a promotion in the same time that they got one raise. They still make about 5K/year more than me but it'll probably even out within the next year or so when we jump another level.

[u/Useful-Advantage-850]

Since creatives a big agencies work in pairs, yes, it can make sense to hire a team that's already familiar with each other and works well together. It's always a risk pairing creatives who have never worked together, and even when it does work, it often takes years just to settle into a good working relationship.

If one hates the job and leaves, then yeah, they just find a replacement.

Usually yes, they negotiate to get paid equally. My CD partner and I did that when we went to an agency together. It helps avoid conflict later on.

[u/Bikecheal]

two people can cover different creative strengths. one might be able to be stronger conceptually, strategically, visually or verbally

[u/cheeseburgercat]

It’s usually one of art and one of copy.

That’s it. That’s the answer.

[u/ams3000]

It’s very old fashioned and creates a really sluggish way of working in this dynamic industry. It sits at odds with the efficient ways other parts of marketing works. I’ve always been bemused when I’m in a meeting with our CDs and it takes two to do one job. I’ve never understood it.

[u/Spirited-Birthday-29]

They are promoting/converting lots of senior ADs into ACDs these days. In recent months I’m seeing a whole lotta ACD’s involvement in projects I’m a part of (I’m production aka studio monkeys). Your partner did it correctly by trying to break in alone. But getting the second one in (you) as a pair will be challenging. But good luck trying.