Did you know you always wanted to take on a creative director role? What first piqued your interest about this kind of role?
Working with like-minded creatives always interested me; the range of difference specialisms, talents and ambitions in the creative industry – and in Ardmore – is amazing.
Have you always been and artistic and creative person? Is it something you recognised from an early age or when did you think ‘that’s the path I want to travel.’
From a very young age I’ve always been creative – drawing, writing, storytelling, animating, building… if anything involved imagination, it was hard to keep me away from… I still do it!
What has influenced you the most creatively? A particular campaign, video or person that comes to mind?
David Ogilvy’s influence is timeless, but lots of things pique my interest– inspiration can be found anywhere from the Stranger Things intro to a local crafts fair.
How does your creative mind work? Do you start with something in mind…talk to us about that creative process.
It rarely stops! Sometimes I take insights and apply imagination and inspiration, other times getting subversive can work. For things like film and animation – pace, timing and composition pay strong roles.
What has been your favourite campaign/most rewarding campaign to have worked on? And why?
There have been lots over the years, but The IFA’s Euro 2016 campaign was a stand out – it had an epic feel to it and brought about real engagement. When an employee from JD Sports told me kids were coming in and asking for posters of the players I was really chuffed – in a way, it went beyond advertising which is a rarity.
What has been the most challenging campaign you have worked on? And why?
The next one 😉
What are the most challenging aspects of this role and how do you work through these?
The most challenging aspect can also be the most rewarding: the transfer of skills; knowing who and what works best and when, learning from each other and seeing it come together – it gets better all the time.
When you’re stuck is there a particular well you visit?
Oh yes; I’d try and get the sentiment of what I was trying to achieve. From there we can investigate and ultimately, articulate.
What advice would you have for yourself 10 years ago? Would you do anything differently?
Ten years ago I was actually keeping an eye on work Ardmore was producing believe it or not!
What are the most useful resources you’ve found that have helped you through your career journey?
I would say to anyone starting in visual communication to reach out into the writing space too. If you can write it down and provide a structure that makes sense, it will be of great benefit.
If you could work on one brand or campaign what would it be?
Ronseal. What’s the worst that could happen…
What is your favourite thing about Ardmore?
How we generate everything together. The conceptual thinking, the insights from strategy, the analysis and selection and innovation of ideas… Ardmore is like a microcosm of the creative industry.
