Seasonal Gifts For Your Creative Team

Santa Brings The Smokes

T'is the season... for uninspired office Secret Santa moments. These can be particularly troublesome when you draw the short straw and have to shop for a creative. Which is why I'm here to help! Without any moment of cynicism or sarcasm, no no. And with that, on to the ideas!

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Copywriter: Depending on the relative prosperity of your place of business, this can range anywhere from a pack of smokes to an ironic typewriter. You also can't go wrong with a threadbare peacoat, or a print of their favorite writer at work. But for my money, a signed copy of something from a dead famous author shows real thought and warmth, and also underscores the idea that they won't be recognized for their genius until after they are able to profit from it. Seasonal depression is a given for these folks, so you might as well make it poignant!

Real gift: Movie gift card. Every copywriter has a screenplay in the pipe, and hence, a dream of actual prosperity.

Designer: Since everyone lives and dies with computer stuff now, it's important to pretend otherwise, and give styluses, paints, exacto knives and so on. They are just dying to get back to that real feel, and the fact that they will never, ever have time in the day to do that doesn't mean anything when it comes to gifting.

Real gift: Craft store gift card. They'll go in for the paints, but leave with something they'll actually use. Like pipe cleaners! Can't ever have enough pipe cleaners.

Creative director: This is usually a designer that has been given the sorry task of herding other designers, which means the holidays are special for them just for the joy of getting away from these people for a few days. Your gift ideas are to help give this person the illusion or memory of being somewhere else, or the ability to reset their minds when the day has gotten away from them. I'd go with one of those little mini zen gardens with the cute little rakes, or maybe a bonsai tree to mangle.

Real gift: Booze. Good booze; they are directors, after all.

Traffic manager: Every single traffic person I have ever met, or you will ever meet, is unable to function without a delicate balance of caffeine and nicotine. Find out which delivery system is their preference -- this won't be hard, the evidence will be all over their cubicle -- and lay into a mighty supply. There's all kinds of coffee snob stuff out there, and chewables. Go nuts; they already are.

Real gift: If you want to be nice, a spa trip that they will either never use or re-gift. If you want to be appreciated, get 'em their drugs.

Developer / coder: What with the turmoil in these worlds between Flash, HTML5, mobile sizing, responsive design and more on the way, these folks have had the full Chinese curse of living in interesting times. Assuming this is still a job, and not just outsourced or destroyed by technology. You can try a gift certificate to a continuing education course, a gift card to a tech book store, or even some fun Think Geek swag for their desk, but where you should be going is...

Real gift: Booze. Lots of booze. And then more booze.


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