Jeremy Craigen

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR DDB LONDON, ENGLAND

What do you think are the most important qualities an advertising creative needs—above and beyond being able to write good adverts?

Naivety and optimism. You have to believe the client wants good work. You have to believe that even your worst clients are capable of buying good work. When your naivety ends at an agency, it’s time to find another one.

What did you learn at college that helps you today?

I nearly trained to be an actor, but I wasn’t good enough to get in to drama school! I’ve always loved ads and thought I would give that a try. I did the CAM course (Communications, Advertising and Marketing), which did nothing to help me get in to advertising but did make me realize I wanted to be a copywriter. I then did the D&AD advertising workshop where I met my first art director, Jeremy Carr, and then got a job at Ted Bates, a truly awful agency.

The main thing young teams want is simply a job. What are the behaviors and attitudes that make you want to hire a team? Why do some people get hired relatively quickly and others take longer…or maybe never get hired at all?

I only hire people who really want to work here. I only hire people who are talented and nice. I want to hire people who will challenge me with their work. Luck, of course, comes in to it. Right place at the right time, but you still have to have the above. Another thing I do is always ask myself the question “What does this team have that I don’t already have in my department?”

What do you find is the hardest thing about being a creative, and what’s the best thing?

The hardest part of being a creative is being consistently good. There are a lot of creatives out there who have done one nice thing but very few who have done, say, ten. The best part is, if you achieve this, then fame, fun, and fortune will follow.

Any tips for dealing with any of the other types of people that creatives come across, e.g. photographers or directors?

Work with the best people possible and let them do their job.

You first achieved success in the print medium, then later became successful in TV. Would you say that is a typical “progression,” or do you think there are some teams who will always be “a good print team” or “a good TV team”?

I think there will always be some teams that are better in one discipline than another. I think it’s easier to move from print to film than vice versa, as print people tend to be more idea-centric. You can make a great commercial without a great idea but not a great print ad.

During your time as executive creative director, DDB London has won massive hauls of awards at D&AD and Cannes. Is it therefore safe to assume that awards are important to you?

Awards are important to me, but they are not the be-all and end-all of what we do. Great work is. Unfortunately, the two don’t always go together. All you can do is aim to do work you are proud of and hope that people on awards juries agree with you. Awards are a by-product of what we do. We are in the business of advertising, not winning awards. Having said all of that…you can’t beat a week in Cannes!

You have worked at DDB for (at the time of writing) 18 years. Is there something to be said for loyalty? How come you haven’t moved?

I have seen many changes here over the years; the agency is constantly evolving. I honestly can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather work, even though I know I could go for more money (so loyalty isn’t always rewarded...).

DDB is well known for the camaraderie that exists in the creative department, but some people claim our business is getting less fun than it was. Is that something you’ve noticed? Do you deliberately set out to make DDB a fun place to work?

I don’t know if I deliberately set out to make DDB a fun place to work at. More a nice place to work. I always worry when I hear “it’s not as fun as it used to be,” because this never seems to come from the people producing great work. You’re right about the camaraderie…though spiced with a healthy bit of competition.

Why do some creatives make it to creative director and others don’t?

There are a lot of creatives out there and not many jobs as creative directors. Having said that, many creatives don’t actually want to be CD. I certainly didn’t when I was offered the job. The only reason I took it was I asked myself, “If I don’t take it, who will?” I think, going back to your first question, that there are different qualities in a CD than a creative. Not just the usual leadership stuff but you have to be pragmatic, which is the last thing I want to see in a young team. You also have to revel in other people’s success, something that doesn’t come naturally to a creative.