5 Minutes with… Ruaridh O'Donnell
Ruaridh has worked with We Are Social London for many years. He started off his editorial journey as a copywriter. He worked his way up to associate editorial director and has recently, moved from London to Sydney, where he has been appointed as the editorial creative director for We are Social Australia.
His journey is admirable. Having worked with some of the biggest brands in the sports and entertainment industry, Ruaridh knows a thing or two about what it takes to be apart of a team.
LBB’s Casey Martin spoke to Ruaridh about his journey and what he would say to his younger self…
LBB> Firstly, how has the transition from London to Sydney been?
Ruaridh> It’s been a whirlwind but loads of fun. Transferring from our London office definitely made things easier on the adjustment front, because although it’s a totally new set of colleagues and clients, the agency itself is set up in a familiar way. So that’s been a massive help. On a personal level, my visa took a little longer to process than I was hoping for, but it meant I got to enjoy the Sydney summer which definitely made for a nicer January than I would’ve had back in the UK.
LBB> Have you noticed any trends here that are different to those in London? How are you using the understanding of both in your everyday?
Ruaridh> In terms of macro trends, I haven’t noticed any fundamental differences. But when it comes to the social landscape, Australia obviously has its own cultural identity and unique set of references that don’t necessarily make their way back to the UK. So it’s more like the focus is on different things. Having a handle on that stuff is a really important aspect of my job, so I've been trying to absorb as much of it as I can. One of the first events I attended here was the TikTok For You Fest back in December, which was a great, albeit wild, introduction. And since then, I've learnt about everything from shoeys to progress shark to the legend that is My Nonna Fina. So yeah, it’s just been about getting to grips with the stuff that resonates with Australian audiences, which can then be channelled into my work.
LBB> Advertising in sport is such an interesting sect of the industry, the audiences are huge! How did you go about creating content that is specific to the brand/sport while appealing to the massive following?
Ruaridh> I don’t think you can be all things to all people, so you’re far more likely to be effective by having a robust strategic approach and knowing which areas of your audience you want to connect with most. But like everyone else on social, sports audiences are more discerning than ever, so it’s no longer enough to just show up with a sponsorship activation and hope the publicity takes care of itself. When a brand infiltrates a sporting space, they’re going to get a certain platform from that. So it’s about using it wisely and making sure your message gets the audience on side by adding value and representing the communities and culture that they’re talking to.
LBB> What has been the most exciting part of your new role? Has there been anything unexpected?
Ruaridh> Honestly just getting to know everyone, and getting to work with all the talent that’s in our building. I've been blown away by how welcoming everyone has been, and I’ve got a great team around me with a couple of new additions arriving soon as well. In terms of work, my very first project was documenting the launch of a giant football flying through the Sydney skyline for Adidas, so that was pretty unexpected. Hopefully, we can continue our strong start to the year, as we’ve got some great projects coming up. Also, shameless plug but we still have one vacancy in the team, so if you want to get into social and work in sports, hit me up.
LBB> Being a leader yourself, who has been an inspirational leader in your life?
Ruaridh> I’ve got to give a massive shout-out to Dan Parker, my old boss at We Are Social London. We started as the only two people from editorial in the agency’s sports division, and by the time I left I think we were up to 15. But yeah since day one, he showed a lot of belief in me, always got the balance right between knowing when to lean in and when to let you figure things out for yourself, and just genuinely cared about the people and the work. All qualities which I'll take forward with me wherever I go.
LBB>Did you grow up in a creative household?
Ruaridh> Haha yes and no. I come from a small town with a big extended family, so our house was always full of people having fun. We didn’t have a lot of exposure to the arts, but my parents definitely encouraged us to express a creative side of ourselves through stories, games and doing silly stuff. When she was about 10, my older sister Eilidh wrote to Gillette suggesting they refresh their slogan with “Gillette. The beard a man won’t get.” which is probably a better line than I’ve ever written. But going into advertising wasn’t on my radar growing up, as I didn’t have any exposure to it. It wasn’t until after university that I realised this was a world I could get into. And once I got that chance, I just ran with it.
LBB> If you could go back in time, what would you say to the junior writer, Ruaridh?
Ruaridh> Take as many risks as possible. Say yes to every challenge. Stay focused. And never stop learning and growing.
