Fostering young creative talent

Amongst South Africa's top advertising agencies, 51% black owned Lobedu Leo Burnett, believes in growing their own timber. Zeona Motshabi, Lobedu Leo Burnett's Managing Director, sites this as the rationale behind the hands-on training of their learners: "There is no school where young talent can gain experience. Rather than complain about the shortage of creative talent, advertising agencies should take a more pro-active stance and mould the raw talent that is so obviously abundant. Abusing graduates instead of coaching them is a real cause for losing our youth to offshore opportunities."

When Lerato Sengadi and Brenden Maseko joined the agency, they were placed under the mentorship of Creative Director Vanessa Klevansky and later Vanessa Pearson also participated as a mentor. Sengadi was appointed as Junior Copywriter and Maseko Junior Art Director.
 
"Many advertising students have distorted perceptions, seeing advertising as a highly glamorous occupation and mistakenly believing a diploma is all they need to crack it big time," says Maseko. "Having experienced the real world of advertising, I realise one needs much more than a tertiary education to succeed in the industry."
 
Both trainees express the importance of experiential training by caring and competent people in the right environment, and stress the benefits of being part of a well-established and reputable agency. "Here we are not just glorified secretaries, but have become an integral part of the creative teams behind Lobedu Leo Burnett's most recent ad campaigns" says Sengadi.
 
Part of their mentoring process requires both be regularly assigned projects to handle independently, from being briefed, to presenting the final product.

Maseko is also optimistic about his future in the industry. "I thoroughly appreciate doing real advertising work as compared to many contemporaries at other agencies who have ended up being filing clerks instead of creating great ads," he says, voicing a contentious industry issue.