So there I was, in Toronto after finishing an internship at Ogilvy. I had no clue what’s next. I had met with every CD in Toronto and didn’t want to do it all over again. So like every one my age I did the only sensible thing, I checked Twitter.
Amongst all the people I was following was one post stood out, the U.K.’s Ad Job Wall: English copywriter needed in Paris. Strange, they speak French there don’t they? Yes they do, almost exclusively, but not on European accounts apparently. Before I knew it I was at Charles Du Galle.
The first thing you realize is that a lot of the clichés about France are totally correct. The thirty-five hour week is real, wine at lunch is as common as a Coke, and the waiters couldn’t be bothered to get your order right. They do have great cheese and baguettes.
Oh right, the work, ah I’m becoming more French by the second, my work is taking a back seat to my joie du vie.
As an English copywriter in this market you traditionally work on Pan European brands or for work that will appear in the U.K. Of course, there’s the language barrier so most of my brilliant and not so brilliant wordplay end up on the cutting room floor. I try to stay undeterred. Like the others have noted about other countries the size of the industry here is a little different.
Publicis takes up a whole building with (almost) all of their divisions. They even have a cafeteria on the ground floor (with wine of course). The French economy is about double the size of Canada’s and they’re also the hub of business for Europe. Things are a little bigger here and everything is very centralized. There’s not much of an ad scene in Marseille or Lyon for example. So if Toronto is the centre of the ad world in Canada, Paris fills the same role but to an even greater extent. Also digital is on everyone’s lips. The more things change…
Well, should a junior creative move to Europe? The answer is tricky but it’s mostly a yes. There are lots of opportunities to travel. Outside of the U.K. you get a chance to improve your language skills or gain a whole new set. Learning French, for instance will only give you more options in our home and native land. Being a foreigner also gives you a really subtle edge; you come from a different culture to draw from and to get ideas. Everything you experience in your adopted country is new and different so you see the marketing problems in a different light. This fresh perspective can be a real benefit when you’re thinking up ideas or even in a meeting where our “Canadian” approach can be a welcome change. If you can, get on the plane.
So remember, the next time you finish a meeting on Young, Bloor or Adelaide, don’t lose hope and check Twitter. The world is bigger than you think.
Zack Filler is a writer at Publicis Dialog in Paris
