Anticipation is high for Newfoundland and Labrador's next tourism campaign. That has Target's creative group head Jenny Smith stoked

by Kathleen Martin

The scene was a base camp at the northern tip of Labrador: the magnificent Torngat Mountains in August. Sometimes it snowed; sometimes it rained. Occasionally there was spectacular sunshine. Tents were surrounded by an electric fence to ward off polar bears. Dinner was caribou or seal or Arctic char.

There are stories, for certain: no showers for a week; the constant presence of a bear monitor carrying a gun. But there was one story in particular the team from Target Marketing came here for: the essence of Labrador. "It is the most overwhelming, most beautiful place," says Jenny Smith, Target's creative group head. "I felt so small when I was there. It was extremely humbling."

In Labrador, Smith was one of three women in the 14-person crew. Her pink winter jacket stood out against the rocks and barrens, swaths of grey, green, and orange. The conditions were gruelling. But the place was inspiration writ large-a dream come true for a creative mind. "It was the trip of a lifetime," says Smith.

Months later, downstairs in the Target offices in St. John's, Smith's desk is one of many in a large, open, warmly lit room. From here, she helps guide the job of distilling the "big land" into words and images. Expectations are high. It is the next in a series of ads for Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism's campaign that has won dozens of awards in this country and abroad.

A veteran copywriter, Smith thrives on the challenge. Although she stubbornly insists that every achievement at Target is a group effort, she is a creative superstar. As Target begins its 30th year, Smith will undoubtedly play an increasingly important role in shaping the ad agency's future.

The tourism ads are known for their imagery: impossibly beautiful children; breathtaking scenery; supersaturated colours. But it is Smith's writing, her first love, that has drawn international attention. Her expertise earned her a place on the judging panel in the radio category of the 2009 Cannes International Advertising Festival, the mecca of advertising.

"To a lot of people in advertising, radio isn't sexy," says Smith, "but it's my favourite thing to do." Radio is a writer's game, and at Cannes, Smith was one of only two women, and the only Canadian, on the 16-member jury. "There's a lot of pressure judging the best work from around the world. It's a little unnerving. But it's also exhilarating and inspiring," she says. "The work was amazing—not just in radio, but in everything. It was a huge learning experience. The best part for me was being surrounded by the top creatives in the world."

The bulk of Smith's own creative training was unconventional. Her certificate in copywriting from Humber College in Toronto followed a graduate degree in history from the University of Western Ontario. Her particular interest was how history is communicated in public spaces such as museums and art galleries. This study informs her understanding of how people relate to mass communication and her ability to make those experiences intimate and effective.

Simplicity is key, Smith explains, and is one of the most important measures she uses to vet the concepts that the creative team proposes. "If you have an ad that has a thousand things in it, people aren't going to get anything out of it. It needs to be single-minded and unexpected."

It sounds easy enough but it's anything but, says Shawn King, the vice-president and creative director at Extreme Group in Halifax. "There is a whole lot of maturity and discipline required to be able to recognize good work when you see it, and Jenny has that. You hear it in what she says and see it in what she does. What comes out of Target is always very well crafted and well executed. And it's always simple. To take a simple idea and make it great is the hardest thing."

"The real test of an idea, though is the, 'Oh God I wish I did that' jealousy test,"_says Smith. "That's when you know you've got a winner."

Smith is extremely focused when she talks about creative work. The gravitas belies her otherwise lighthearted personality and speaks more, perhaps, to what she balances outside of the office. Parallelling her rise in Target's creative department since her arrival there eight years ago is the growth of her two children, who are six and four years old. In an industry whose leadership roles are still strikingly dominated by men, Smith is a rare example of a senior creative working mom.

"I'm a more efficient worker since having my children," says Smith. "My time is less my own. And I am lucky. Target cares about my family and supports me in spending time with my children. I leave the office at five every day, and no one is shooting daggers my way. They understand that time with my children is important. And I have a supportive husband and family who understand my commitment to my job. After we put the kids to bed, I'll stay up until the work is done."

Kathleen Martin is a freelance journalist based in Halifax. She can be reached at masthead@ns.sympatico.ca.