Tell us a bit about being an executive creative director in advertising

No day is the same, which makes it brilliant. I get to work with so many interesting people across different industries, meaning that I see everything and work with everyone. But most importantly, it’s the ‘ideas’ that make the job exciting. Being an executive creative director means that I head up a few creative teams (art director and copywriter) and it’s up to all of us to think of new, exciting and brilliant ideas. It’s not all me, you know!  I love seeing my teams’ ideas too. Basically, I just love ideas and seeing how they transform from concept to the real thing.

Every brief is different too, which is great! From advertising biscuit factories and seeing how a biscuit is made, to cars and car factories, tea bags, fashion…you name it!

How did you get into advertising?

I went to St Martins College of Arts, where I studied graphic design. It was just before computers were coming in and computers and I, well – let’s just say we don’t get on! I was more about the ideas than the computers. Plus I was quite skint, so used to write adverts on the side. Then, at the end of the year I realised I’d written loads of adverts and it was what I wanted to do, so I just decided to change careers from graphic design to advertising.

Have you won any awards?

Yep, lots. Gold Lions, D&AD pencils, British television, Cleo awards…

Tell us a bit more about what’s involved in creating a TV ad

Well, it’s a very, very long process.

First we speak to clients to understand their business objective, be it building the brand or creating brand awareness. Then we get under the skin of the business to understand how it truly works, who the customer is, what the strengths of the business are and what makes it stand out.

Once you get that fixed down, you go away and write a few ideas down and research those. From that you might narrow it down to one idea, but then you keep writing and building on the idea until you get it just right. Then, this goes through more approval processes.

Lots of ideas die along the way. That’s the really difficult bit for creative people – so many creative ideas thrown away. Every idea is a passion and has time invested in it, which creates a buzz and excitement.

Once the idea is chosen, the script is finalised, it’s time to find a director from a production company, who adds yet more creativity to the process. Creative minds see things and add things helping to build the magic and the ‘wow’ we want. We always look for the wow. It’s ALL about the wow. We have to wow people in such a short amount of time – seconds to capture, engage and wow!

After this, we go through the stages of casting, getting costumes, locations, and tie all those bits down. Then it’s the shoot, which can be a one-day job or a week away in South America, all depending on the final script and the budget. The BrandAlley TV ad celebrated London in all its glory – and then came the RAIN!

When the shoot is over, we then move into swanky editing suites, where we edit, colour grade, add music and watch the magic of it all come together. It’s my favourite part.

Then that’s it. Well my part, anyway. It then goes through legals and other things, but that is why you have a great production agency to sort it out for you.

What was the inspiration behind the idea for the BrandAlley TV ad?

The great thing about BrandAlley is that it got my mind going and the ideas flowing – there were so many routes we could have chosen. However, there was one clear winner and that was based on the truism of how far people are willing to go for something designer. So, taking this insight further, we started asking questions and got some really nice answers; some people were willing to eat beans on toast for a whole month and some were lying to husbands – all this nonsense just to get a handbag. I loved the insight!

The key thing is, though, BrandAlley offer all these great products with 70% off, so the idea was that you don’t really need go to those extremes anymore, as there’s a savvier way. So, it’s a savvier win.

Tell us a bit about the executive creative director’s role on the day of the shoot and post shoot?

My role is to make the shoot run smoothly, and check that the idea is on track and being executed in the right way. It’s all about making sure you strike that balance of getting what you want and keeping the client happy too. The BrandAlley shoot went well and the director, Bugsy Riverbank Steel, did very well with some great casting.

Which part of your job do you like best?

Hmmm, that’s a difficult question because you do so much. I think the best bit is when you have such a great idea, mixed with a bit of fear and think, “My God, this is good but it might still get killed!” and then there’s that great feeling when the client buys it and you both think it’s great. You do the research and fit it to the budget and your client is still on board, and it still has the wow factor. Then the directors come back and THEY like it too and it builds momentum and gets exciting – it still hasn’t been killed!

 

It’s like the turtles. They have to get to the beach and the seagulls keep swooping in and taking them out, and you’re the turtle trying to get to the beach. Every step you take is a step closer, but there’s still that risk. And then you hit the water and it’s, “WOW, I’m there!”

And then you film and that’s exciting too, as it’s like the first swim in the ocean – you know you’re there with the idea, but it can still descend into rough waters. This analogy works really well, I think!

Then you finish filming and know it’s going well; it’s looking beautiful. But you still have the nervous moment of editing, and at this point I stand back while editors work their magic. It’s scary, because they can still mess it up sometimes, but usually this is when it really starts to come together. We make all the necessary cuts; add the music and then I step in to polish it off, adding sound effects and finishing touches.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A stunt man! But then I realised it was quite dangerous. I also wanted to be Michael Knight, because I liked his car. I was always drawing things and making stuff too, so actually I’m probably doing all right.

Three things that sum you up?

Handsome, funny and – modest!

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us…

The best job I ever had was working in a rubbish dump. I was the guy with a big yellow digger, smashing things up. Brilliant!

Think of a product you bought that you couldn’t really justify but ‘just had to have it’. What is it?

I like cars – hence wanting to be a stunt man and Michael Knight. I particularly like Porches. I like trainers too. Really like them. Actually, they’re a bit of a passion. I like to wear a different pair every day with matching socks, so I have a few hundred pairs.

What excuses did you find to justify it to yourself or your partner?

It makes me happy. Happiness makes you live longer, so therefore it’s healthy.

When saving for something really special/having just spent a lot of money on a whim, do you go to any lengths to save money?

Not really because I usually forget about it. I might cut down a bit, but you don’t mind because you’ve got that nice thing.

How far would you go for that dream purchase?

Probably quite far if it makes you live longer (see answer above!). You can’t put a price on your health.

What’s next for you?

I have lots more ideas for clients. I wanna make good stuff, you know? Get more turtles into the ocean!

Watch this space!

Tomorrow, our gorgeous model, Jen Dawson, dishes on what it’s really like to be a model and reveals all for the BrandAlley TV ad. Don’t miss it!