Abstract

This essay investigates how creativity is created and becomes part of the production process within the advertising world, which has a leading role in defining contemporary culture. The present paper is based on an ethnographic study of an international advertising firm with a branch in Milan, Italy and over twenty-two interviews with the leading institutions in the sector and with many creative professionals. A deep analysis addresses an array of different questions, such as: What does creativity mean for professionals working in the advertising world? How do they express it and what role does it have in the production process of an advertising firm? How is creativity enhanced within the creation of an advertising message? This essay's aim is to define the role of creativity in the peculiar reality of an advertising firm.