IGI features
Gerard Roe Interview
Jan, 29, 2002
Gerard Roe is senior art director in Young Advertising (HAVAS). He is responsible for the creative work for Lyric FM, Bulmers, 2FM, AA, Bridgestone and Donegal Catch, among others. He has worked as an art director for over seven years in various Dublin agencies and has won a number of advertising awards.
Do you think that illustrators are being asked to think more like designers now than they were in the past?
I think it depends on the Illustrator, some are more graphic in their style; others are more conceptual. It can also depend on your relationship with the individual. Personally, I want an illustrator to communicate a concept clearly, in the style we agree on.
Is the concept ‘king’ or are the technical skills of the illustrator what designers look for?
Part two of the question for me as an advertising Art Director, concept is always king and that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t look magic as well. The sum of two parts. The best situation is if the illustrator pushes it on that extra mile.
Do you think that illustration is a good graphic solution for advertising and design problems?
Yes, it’s an excellent solution, depending on the brand or the particular campaign. Sometimes concepts require illustration to give a certain tone, or you can communicate them through typography or photography.
Are the styles and quality of native Irish illustration varied and responsive enough to meet your needs as a senior designer/art director?
Difficult question. I don’t know any good art directors or designers who aren’t always looking for something new. In my experience, that search now stretches beyond these shores. I think the Internet has simplified this. I know I’m always picking up bits and bobs and grabbing tear sheets, whether I’m on holidays or in the doctor’s waiting room, the search continues. However, in a perfect world, it would be nice to keep the majority of the work in Ireland. It also allows you to nip round for a cup of tea and see how things are going. Increasingly, face to face meetings seem to be on the decline with the ease of email and I seem to be extremely busy all the time.
In the past you felt obliged to source illustrators from the UK when you couldn’t find an Irish answer to a graphic problem. Do you see organisations like the IGI (www.illustratorsireland.com) as a step in the right direction for Irish advertising and marketing?
Hooray -at last!!! www.illustratorsireland.com is a gift. For the last few years I’ve been using that little blue book (the Independent Irish Illustrators sourcebook, published in the mid-nineties). It sort of travelled from art director’s room to art director’s room. It was difficult to have an up-to-date understanding of who was doing what or see examples of the most recent styles Of course, contact numbers are also constantly changing. The brilliant thing about the net is you can always update the illustratorsireland.com site with new work and if an illustrator develops a new style, the site can collect together a database and update those people.
Personally, I was already using a similar service from the States and the UK. It’s great and a lot cheaper for illustrators rather than them constantly getting cards printed with an image that goes out of date quickly. As to whether I feel obliged to use UK illustrators; well, it all boils down to when I look -I don’t limit my search just to Ireland. I think we all believe that competition is no longer just national. In this business, I know as a creative I have pitched against agencies in the UK, the States and Europe at various stages and have sometimes been successful. Clients demand the very best for their brands and if we’re weak in a given area, we need to source a solution whether it’s native or not.
Would you describe your experiences of Irish illustrators to be good? Do you think that illustrators are geared up to meet the needs and expectations of the advertising industry in Ireland?
Yes, there are some world class illustrators in Ireland; David Rooney, for example. There are some incredibly talented people; I just wish we could see more of their work and any new developments. Anything goes when you’re trying to break a new campaign. We all love to fill our walls and computers with images that may spark something off. I think this site (www.illustratorsireland.com) is definitely a step in the right direction.
In the UK, illustrators are expected to have just one style of work in their portfolio. Do you think that this is a good thing or do you like to see diversity with each style properly mastered?
To be honest I don’t know what the convention is in UK illustration houses as to how many styles people can or can’t have. The UK market is enormous. I’m sure it’s very difficult to exist here on just one style. If someone can effectively do a number of styles, surely that’s an advantage?
The computer is now part and parcel of the illustration world both in Ireland and abroad. Is the convenience of this medium an important factor in deciding who you will work with or are you more concerned with the style of the illustrator’s work?
I don’t believe convenience should come into it, unless you’re screwed on a deadline -and that’s a decision no creative likes to make -budget can also be a huge factor. Mostly, the computer saves me time and the necessity of couriers.
Photography has always been the natural competitor of illustration. When choosing an illustration over a photograph, what are the factors that bring about that decision?
I now think illustration is becoming a strong competitor to photography; certainly as ‘realism’ illustration gets stronger. Faced with a choice between illustration and photography, I must consider what I want to say with my image -to whom and in what tone. Only then can I find the style I want, check affordability and delivery dates, etc. Finally, will the client buy it? He may hate it or love it or even get extra prints made for his bathroom!
Do you think an illustration, whether it is a simple graphic or an elaborate image, has more of an emotional impact on the viewer than a photograph?
I don’t know. It depends on the content.
Demographics are bandied around a lot in the media. As it is important to address the correct people in the correct manner, are there demographic audiences which are more influenced by illustration, or does illustration cross all borders, depending on the style used?
I’d say that’s bullshit of course! It crosses all boundaries. There’s an illustration style for everything. There’s no doubt that kids, from an early age prefer illustrations to photos, I’m sure it’s the cartoon quality and the bright colours that attract them. For me, illustration seems to lend itself brilliantly to humour. Alternatively, David Rooney’s work could be classed as being more adult and sophisticated.
Is there any one thing that you would like to see happening in Ireland within the Irish illustration community?
Yes. I’d like all the Illustrators to do a free illustration for each room in my house. Only joking! I’d just love to see more. New people. New styles. It takes a second to email a new piece of work to a list of designers and art directors. Keep it coming!
You recently used an illustration to highlight Bulmers’ sponsorship of the Masters Golf Championship. In this instance, you could have gone for photography but you chose illustration. Why did you opt for illustration?
We were briefed that our client had suddenly done a deal to sponsor the coverage of the Masters Golf Championship on RTE and wanted to do some 48 sheets to promote that fact. We had a week to conceptualise and produce it, and money was tight. Within a week, we presented an idea together with a style-guide to the client and luckily, it was approved first off. We wanted to turn the (Bulmers) cider vats into the head covers of three woods standing in a golf bag. Illustration was chosen and I think Tom Byrne delivered an excellent job under enormous pressure. We made the deadline, the client was chuffed and we all lived happily ever after. Well, kinda!
Is illustration art?
Of course it’s art, isn’t it? It’s an expression; it’s a communication. It’s always existed in some shape or form and I’m sure when the camera was invented you had the usual clowns saying, ‘it’s the end of the brush stroke!’
Do you see illustration as being a sought after medium for the future and if so, why?
For sure, there’ll be periods of time where it will become more frequent and periods where it will be quieter; a lot like fashion. It doesn’t ever have to rely on advertising to survive. For me, the future seems to be about more of everything. We’ve got choice coming out our… well, you get the picture. I think the future will be more competitive but it’s the same for all of us: only the strong and smart survive. Now my crystal ball has clouded over.
I’ve a little collection of tear sheets of various styles that I’m aching to find the right client or job for -that’s a look into the near future. Personally I love mixing photography and illustration. As long as there’s an alternative, people will use it.
Is stock imagery (whether it is photography or illustration) an option at the level at which you work?
It’s a kind of personal thing. We prefer to get the idea first and then conjure up the image, rather than trawling through stock books/sites looking for kinda the right image. It’s not really creating anything. It’s much more fun creating something new rather than making a line work on an existing image. We rarely present finished roughs at concept stage, I’d much rather get the idea through first and then worry about what somebody’s opinion is on the colour red. Sorry, I’m not a fan of stock, unless there’s no other solution.
Do illustrators market themselves enough in this country?
Personally, I don’t think so - but I’m sure it’s an expensive game. That’s why the website is such a good idea. There’s no reason why illustrators can’t work in Europe or the UK and there’s no reason why illustrators shouldn’t get around the industry more. I love seeing new books. I don’t know any art directors who won’t see people, unless they’re genuinely busy or else rude. I think I’ve seen two books in the last year-and-a-half and both of them were from the same person! I think art directors seek out illustrators rather than the other way round. The web however, is perfect. You can take a peek at any time, plus the illustrator isn’t going to the bother of traipsing from boardroom to boardroom listening to “emmh” or “nice”, or “emmmh” again and again.
