Life in the fast lane: A Creative Director's perspective

Today we sit down with Jane Linton, Executive Creative Director at big group, to find out more about her journey through the creative agency landscape and how she draws inspiration from all avenues of marketing.

How long have you worked in agency land?

I have been in agency land for nearly 20 years. Prior to working in marketing and design I started my creative career in retail as a Visual Merchandiser followed by a stint as an Exhibition Designer at the National Museums of Scotland.? I worked in agencies in Edinburgh and Glasgow before making the move to London to experience ‘a year or two’ of London agency life – 18 years later I am still here and still loving it.

How does working for an agency differ from other industries??

Well, definitely faster-paced with a lot of variety across different clients and projects. At big group no two days are the same, which I love. I can be working on a large web build one day, to a small branding exercise the next with everything in between. Throw in pitches and the general running of a department of 30+ creatives and there is never a dull moment.

As a female leading the creative space, who do you draw inspiration from?

As a female Creative Director in a very male-dominated role I am very proud of what I have achieved. I have tried to work by graphic designer Anthony Burrill’s simple motto of Work Hard & Be Nice to People. Although sometimes being too nice does me a disservice so every now and again I try to adopt a bit more of a bolshie attitude (whether I pull it off is open to debate!).? ?

A tenacious female leader I hugely admire is Jessica Walsh, Creative Director and founder of the creative agency &Walsh. Founded in 2019, &Walsh is one of the .1% of creative agencies owned by women. I am always inspired by &Walsh’s bold and colourful designs, inspiring typography and thought-provoking work. Jessica Walsh also started Ladies, Wine & Design which is a force for good, championing more diversity in the creative industries.?

How do you know when a creative piece is ‘done’ and ready to send to the client?

As a creative and a perfectionist, it is often very hard to know when to stop refining a piece as you can always see small improvements that can be made. Even after work is finished and out in the world you see elements you would have done differently, tweaks you would have made. The majority of the time the deadline looms or the client is pushing for the work to be sent over before you feel the piece is truly done.? ?

But it is a great feeling when you do look at a design and have the satisfaction of knowing that it is ready. The sweet ‘my work here is done’ moment.?

What are some campaigns that you’ve loved from a creative standpoint, and can you provide some insight into them?

IKEA always produce consistently good ads under The Wonderful Everyday brand platform. The brand has had a long-running relationship with Mother London who have produced some great ads which always capture the emotion and sentiment of the story in a humorous and playful way. ?

One of my favourite ads is The Hare which shows a preamble to the classic story of The Tortoise & The Hare. Shot around East London we follow the hipster Hare on a night out with the lads, including a late-night kebab, a long walk home and hours of endless phone scrolling before nodding off on the sofa. The next morning, we see the well-rested tortoise rise from his comfy bed, complete with sumptuous IKEA bedding of course. With the radio playing in the background wishing all the London Marathon runners’ good luck for today’s race. As the final beats of the perfect soundtrack, Witness the Fitness by Roots Manuva plays out we see our bleary-eyed hare wake up with a start. Slow and steady really does win the race.

Another recent film following the winning formula of humour, playfulness and tapping into human emotion is the trailer for the Great British Bake Off . As all the baking ingredients come to life as animated characters and make their way to the GBBO tent, their enthusiasm is infectious tapping into the excitement that the new show brings. A dramatic pause as the first egg is smashed coupled with a pitch-perfect soundtrack, Belinda Carlisle’s Heaven Is A Place On Earth, completes this heart-warming ad.

What do you think is the biggest challenge of running a creative department?

One of the biggest challenges running a studio of 30+ creatives is juggling the many different aspects of my role. Going back to the first question on why I love agency life – what makes agency life great on the flip side brings its challenges. Juggling multiple projects each day, often jumping quickly from one to another can result in being spread too thin and not giving everything your full attention. The day-to-day people management which makes up a large part of my job is also crucial to ensure the creatives feel supported.

When you add pitches into the mix which need to be worked on in addition to all the business-as-usual stuff, then you can often feel like there are just not enough hours in the day.

One of the toughest challenges in all this is finding the headspace to be on top of your game when coming up with the big creative ideas. Making time for the creative thinking and ideation stage can be one of the most challenging aspects of my day, which is frustrating as when you boil it all down that is essentially one of the most important.

Stay tuned for part 2 of Jane's article where she delves into creative processes, eureka moments in projects and the pursuit of creative bliss alongside client needs...