Dave Coffey Looks Back on 20 Years in the Creative Industry

Dave Coffey is a creative director at THINKHOUSE, the youth marketing agency. Dave joined THINKHOUSE as a copywriter in 2015 and has delivered successful campaigns for global organisations and beloved Irish brands, including Ben & Jerry’s, Heineken, Three Mobile, Lynx, Deloitte, Tourism Ireland, and many more.

His speciality is writing TV and radio scripts. He’s written TV ads for the likes of Jameson Whiskey, Barry’s Tea, Frank and Honest Coffee and RTÉ.

With a background in TV, radio, podcasting and live theatre, Dave is an IFTA-nominated writer/director with a track record for creating smart, original comedy shows with recognisable characters and a satirical edge.

LBB> Person - What kind of creative person are you?

Dave> Creativity is an integral part of my life, something I couldn’t live without. I feel incredibly lucky to have worked in creative roles throughout my entire career: 20 years as a writer, director, and performer across TV, radio, and theatre, and a decade at THINKHOUSE, the youth marketing agency.

But even if I had never earned money through creative work, it would still have played a huge part in my life. I’ve always enjoyed writing. I’ve been an improv comedy performer for 12 years. I’ve created two podcasts. I’ve dabbled in animation and video editing. And recently, I got into Dungeons & Dragons (and other tabletop roleplaying games), another incredible creative outlet.

My family are all into this personality categorisation system called the enneagram, and I’m a number nine: a peacemaker/mediator. I’m good at seeing different sides of situations and bringing people together, while also drawing out the best in others.

I’m adept at connecting dots across disciplines and distilling different ideas and approaches into a single, cohesive vision. What motivates me most is producing work that feels meaningful and resonates emotionally. That’s the kind of work that’s most effective.

I believe everyone is creative. Too many people have their creativity snuffed out at a young age when someone tells them they can’t draw, write, or sing, and they just write themselves off as ‘not creative’. But studies show that engaging in creative activity has enormous health benefits. We should be encouraging creativity wherever we can.

That’s why it’s been so rewarding to work with Creative Ireland and RTÉ to promote Cruinniú na nÓg, Ireland’s annual day of free creativity for young people. Ireland is the only country in the world with this kind of event, and every country should follow suit.

It’s amazing.

LBB> Product - How do you judge the creativity of a piece of work?

Dave> First and foremost: does it make me feel something? Good creative work resonates. It might surprise you, make you laugh, hit a nerve, or just feel right in a way you can’t quite explain (some of the best work does this). Beyond that, I look for clarity, originality, authenticity, and craft. Once the idea is solid, the craft should elevate the work, not distract or dilute. The devil is always in the details.

I was very lucky to start working as a television director about a year out of university. Looking back at the work I did twenty years ago, this criterion was evident, even if I wasn’t consciously applying it. I was simply trying to make something I enjoyed, in the hope that others would enjoy it too. I still think that’s a great north star for creativity. It’s a well-worn concept (especially in comedy), but when you try to appeal to everyone, you end up appealing to no one. You have to do something you love to truly move the dial.

THINKHOUSE is a truly full-service creative agency, so I’ve done incredibly varied work over the years, from creating a feel-good, inclusive choir for Innocent to celebrate the end of covid lockdowns with a TV commercial for Jameson. Coming from a comedy background, I especially enjoy getting to flex those muscles with brands like Frank and Honest Coffee and Heineken. I’m also incredibly proud of THINKHOUSE’s work under its PLANET service offering, like creating a powerful film for ActionAid to challenge rising anti-immigrant narratives or partnering with GOAL NextGen to promote youth global citizenship.

I’m probably most proud of making Sisters, a TV commercial for Barry’s Tea, a brand I’ve been working with for over a decade. Barry’s Tea is one of Ireland’s most beloved brands with a legacy of iconic TV ads. The story behind the ad was inspired by one of my colleagues, and I think that gives it a sense of authenticity and emotional resonance I always aspire to.

LBB> Process - Tell us about how you like to make creative work.

Dave> Every campaign is different, but ideally, it starts with a strong creative brief from the client. We take that away and go through it methodically to understand what’s driving it. What’s the problem we need to solve? What’s the business objective we need to meet? I like to dissect the brief with a group; people interpret things differently, and it’s important to reach a shared understanding of what we’re trying to do.

If the brief is written, we’ll follow up with a call to talk through anything that needs clarification. These calls are so important. That’s where you often unlock the gold, those insights that didn’t make it into the brief.

Then I like some time to mull things over on my own. I’ve never worked with a creative partner. Not by choice, it just wasn’t the norm when I started at THINKHOUSE as a copywriter. Then we regroup as a team for a brainstorm or to pitch ideas to each other. THINKHOUSE has always championed group brainstorms, and the best ideas can come from anywhere or anyone. Once we’re all in on an idea, a smaller team will work closely to develop it into a campaign. When it comes to writing things like TV or radio scripts, I prefer to take that away and work on it solo. I find it easier to get into a creative flow that way.

But I love working as part of a team. There’s always someone you can go to when you’re stuck, someone already working on the campaign or a fresh set of eyes with a different perspective.

Beyond that, my creative process follows that line from ‘Mad Men’:

“Just think about it. Deeply. Then forget it. And an idea will jump up in your face.”

LBB> Press - What external factors have shaped you, and what can make or break a creative project?

Dave> Random chance has probably shaped me as much as anything else. I was always a nerd growing up, more drawn to creative pursuits than sports. But I didn’t necessarily set out to work in a creative field. Like a lot of students applying to university, I took a punt and chose communications (film and broadcasting). I was probably a couple of better exam results away from studying psychology. I was lucky. I loved the course and got to try lots of creative disciplines, and especially enjoyed scriptwriting and audio/video editing.

Right out of college, more luck! I landed my dream job as a video editor for The Wrestling Channel, a digital channel that aired only professional wrestling. As a huge wrestling fan, I quickly moved from basic editing to cutting promos and eventually directing a weekly magazine show. Sadly, the channel folded, and I found myself out of work. That was both good and bad luck. While between jobs, I made a pilot for a comedy show that got picked up, and that launched a decade of mostly working in TV as a writer-director. From there, I transitioned into marketing, first as a copywriter, then as a creative director.

What can make or break a project? Random chance, again! I still think about one TV project that slipped through my fingers. I self-funded and shot a half-hour comedy pilot about couples commuting to work. On the day I was about to sign a development deal with a UK production company I’d always dreamed of working with, the BBC announced they were commissioning Peter Kay’s ‘Car Share’. It wasn’t exactly the same idea, but close enough to kill my show.

I’ve always just worked as hard as I can, focused on doing what I love, and hoped for the best. The rest? That’s up to chance.