The cardest job in the industry?

23rd Dec 2009 A passion and truth by Adam

The Christmas card, be it agency or client, cursed by creatives, argued by art directors, disputed by designers, even whinged at by writers, is still the hardest job in the industry to crack... or is it?

For a creative it's the age-old job that drifts around the agency from November onwards. Tasked with working entirely with the clichéd symbols of Christmas and yet trying to come up with something new, the loathing most creatives have (or should I say apprehension) when the brief comes in to produce something witty for Christmas is far outweighed by the desire to create a masterpiece of festive proportions. Even more so in this tricky climate we find ourselves in, where creativity can be used to even help you out at Christmas time. (WAA 12 DIY's of Christmas 2009).

In this digital age where email Christmas cards, viral season's greetings and even website festive wishes are bombarding you left right and centre, I ask, is there nothing like getting something tangible through the post at this festive time of year? Or the joy of something unexpected landing on your desk, personally addressed to you with a stamp on it? ('The Chase' Christmas card 1993) Or something funny, witty, even cost effective in these hard times? ('Tayburn' Christmas on a Shoestring 2008) But mostly something physical that greets you with more than just a Happy Christmas.

Although many creatives succeed in their quest to produce a Christmas card with humour and charm – some use the lure of money ('Mavity Gilmore' White Christmas 1985) or even give you the option to put that money to better use ('Studio LR' Charity Christmas 2008) - there is one rule that prevails throughout all of this even at Christmas. Simplicity. A great idea simply executed.

Unfortunately, not many get to see their festive toils in lights, unlike filmmaker ('Arnold Schwartzman' Holly US 1979). His Christmas greeting was as famous as the Hollywood hills themselves. But for a creative, most ideas generated around this time of year are reserved for the caverns of time or sent to the North Pole where Santa uses them to stoke his fire the rest of the year round.

We do have a glimmer of hope in all this festive madness; a few candidates that still break the mould of your average Christmas greeting and produce a tactile card that gives the recipient something more than just another email in the inbox. VW have proved this - and like their cars, their Christmas cards are engineered with precision and beauty. ('DDB New Zealand' Snowflake 2006).

So, if elaborate paper engineered Christmas cards are not really putting the star on top of the tree for you, maybe try something as simple as the deliberate removal of the Christmas card altogether and just send out an envelope that resembles a Christmas tree ('The Partners' Christmas Envelope 1985). Economical you may say…or genius.

But I feel due respect and originality can be given to one Christmas idea in particular; one where the repeated struggle to come up with an original festive offering became the idea in itself ('Bull Rodger' Christmas Thoughts 1994). How true this is to all creatives all over the world.

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