Art Director Intern

Publicis Groupe Holdings B.V; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 78,000 - 123,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Overtime flexibility

Exposure to alcohol brands

Job summary

Publicis Groupe Africa is inviting graduates to join Le Cubs 2027, a 12-month internship program across Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, starting March 2027. As a Junior Art Director Intern you’ll collaborate with a creative studio delivering on integrated concepts and designs, gaining hands-on experience across disciplines.

You’ll develop craft-led design skills, work on social platforms, and learn to present to clients while contributing to campaigns; strong interest in advertising,

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in Art Direction / Graphic Design
• Must have a minimum of 1 year experience.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Strong presentation and communication skills

Responsibilities

• Stay up to date with digital platforms.
• Manage your creative process on projects.
• Work with other disciplines (Strategists, Developers, Media, Accounts, etc.).
• Be a champion for digital innovation on every project.
• Participate in pitches for new business.
• Define or apply the aesthetic of overall campaigns.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Generate ideas and sell them into clients or other team members.
• Mock up creative ideas.
• Design across multiple channels.
• Deliver consistently against a deliverables list.
• Participate in brainstorms & conceptualisation.
• Lead the craft & design of your idea.
• Compile presentations for clients and learn to present.
• Attend client briefings & be prepared to present to clients.

Skills

Conceptual design

MS Office

Adobe Creative Suite

Communication & presentation

Multi‑tasking

Time management

Work under pressure

Design rationale

Presentation skills

Technology awareness

Visual design principles

Team collaboration

Education

Art Direction/Graphic Design degree

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

Company description

Publicis Groupe is a global leader in communication and is positioned at every step of the value chain, from consulting to execution, combining marketing transformation and digital business transformation.

Publicis Groupe Africa has opened applications for Le Cubs 2027, its flagship 12-month internship programme designed to give young South African graduates meaningful workplace experience and an opportunity to build future‑ready careers in the marketing and communications industry.

Starting in March 2027, successful applicants will join teams across Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, gaining hands‑on experience in disciplines including creativity, strategy, human resources, data, technology, AI, media and business support.

Le Cubs is designed to bridge the gap between tertiary education and the workplace, giving graduates the opportunity to move beyond theory, contribute to real work, learn from industry professionals and develop practical skills in a connected, collaborative environment.

Overview

Title: Junior Art Director Intern

Location: Johannesburg

Reporting To: Creative Director

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

As a junior creative you will work with our passionate, multi‑talented studio delivering on exceptional, integrated concepts and designs to exceed client briefs and expectations.

As a Junior Art Director, you can expect to be craft‑led and platform neutral conceptual thinkers, in particular having an understanding of all major social platforms. You should have a desire to transform companies by creating beautiful, intuitive, and human‑centred products and experiences.

You will be tuned into all aspects of South African popular culture and the platforms and media it plays in, as well as have a strong point of view on what it takes to win in this space.

Responsibilities

Duties include, but not limited to:

• Be up to date with digital platforms
• Manage your creative process on projects
• Work with other disciplines (Strategists, Developers, Media, Accounts, etc.)
• Be a champion for digital innovation on every project you touch
• Participate in pitches for new business
• Define or apply the aesthetic of overall campaigns
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Generate ideas and sell them into clients or other members of the team
• Mock up creative ideas
• Design across multiple channels
• Consistently produce creative elements against a deliverables list
• Participate in brainstorms & conceptualisation
• Lead the craft & design of your idea
• Compile presentations for clients and learn to present
• Attend client briefings & be prepared to present to clients

Qualifications

Operational KPI’S

• Tertiary qualification in Art Direction / Graphic Design
• Must have a minimum of 1 year experience.

• Conceptual and design skills
• Proficient in MS Office (i.e. Word / PowerPoint etc.)
• Knowledge of and experience in Adobe Creative Suite applications
• Good communication & presentation skills
• Good multi‑tasking skills (ability to work on more than one brief at any given time)

• Great time management
• Ability to work under pressure & meet tight deadlines
• Adopt problem solving skillsStrong communication skills with ability to provide rationales for creative choices made
• Adequate presentation skills
• Working knowledge of existing and emerging technologies & platforms
• A strong understanding of best practice interaction and visual design principles
• Able to work with team members

BUSINESS KPI’s

• Must be able to work on one sizable and two small size project at any one time with oversight.
• Have the ability to attend every review on a project with 3 new ideas.

THE PERSON

• Team player with the ability to work independently
• Ability to work well in a highly pressurized, fast‑paced environment
• Curious, imaginative creative mind with a passion for everything advertising related
• Meticulous with attention to detail
• Proactive - a “can do” attitude and willing to go the extra mile
• Accountable
• Solution and deadline driven
• Other:
  • Flexible to work beyond normal office hours (overtime - if and when required)
  • Able to work on alcohol brands (if and when required)

Additional information

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Publicis Groupe Africa is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits any forms of Discrimination or Harassment. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our employees in line with our Employment Equity Plan.

COMPANY VALUES

TRUST

Trust is the cornerstone upon which we build our relationships. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of how a partner should behave. We treat our people and our clients with respect, transparency and honesty

TALENT

This is first and foremost a people business. We are committed to ensuring Publicis Groupe is a destination for the best talent in our industry. We value people as individuals, growing ourselves as we grow our client’s business

TRANSFORMATION

True transformation comes when we stop managing change, and instead initiate change. We believe in our purpose to be the admired force for business transformation. We believe that focusing on performance and results has the power to transform client business