Along with exploring the beautiful country of Ghana, I am interning at Emerge, an advertisement agency. The stern Michelle Attoh heads the agency. A fun fact is that she used to be a popular actress a few decades ago on the Ghanaian version of Days of Our Lives. The office is located in Osu, which is a vibrant area of Accra. Interning for the agency has definitely been an experience and I have learned some valuable lessons about working in the advertisement industry.
During my first week at Emerge, I was handed a campaign for Societe Generale bank and was expected to copy write a television and radio advertisement for the client. Emerge has been working on the campaign for about two months, so I thought I would be proofreading and fixing minor details. I was blatantly wrong. I was in charge of redoing the entire campaign. The client has an ever-changing mind about the campaign, so the agency has basically given up and believed a new set of eyes, a.k.a. me, was their best bet. So far, I have rewritten the original script eight times, created a new concept and script, and have been shot down every single time. We are currently at a stand still with the company after canceling four production days. The client has a habit of approving the script and then as we are about to start producing (often the night before) they change their mind and we are forced to cancel the shoot. I have made several phone calls and have been screamed at by angry photographers, actors, and makeup artists. I am hoping that there will be progress made on the campaign before I head back to the United States.
Along with working on the campaign, I am in charge of redoing their website and show reels. Currently, I am working with the website designer and video producers to make Michelle’s vision for the website and show reels come to life. This entails that I sit through several meetings, and act as the liaison between Michelle and the designers.
Overall, my experience at Emerge has been amazing. The trek to work and then the eight-hour workday is exhausting, but I have learned a lot about working in the advertisement industry. I lucked out and have stellar coworkers. One of my coworkers doubles as an event producer and works with leading Ghanaian talent. Michelle scares the daylights out of me and keeps me on my toes but I idolize her ability to lead and her level of sass. She does not take crap from anyone and to work for her you need to learn that instantly. Along with having an incredible work environment, I have found a passion for copy writing and plan to pursue that more. I have learned the value of patience and that the client is essentially your boss so it is your duty to satisfy them, even when they rip your work to pieces right in front of you. It has been an eye-opening experience that was much needed as I enter into my final year at the University of Oregon and prepare to enter the work force.
The two most important lessons learned from interning at Emerge have been:
- I have no desire for a desk job. EVER.
- I want to be Michelle Attoh one day.
Comments by jaclynr