Creative Marketing: Ruaridh O’Donnell on Creative Campaigns
Ruaridh is the editorial creative director at We Are Social Australia.
He is responsible for the creative direction across social always-on content, working with a team of 12 editors using their expertise to connect global brands with communities, creators and culture. He has extensive experience activating social campaigns across a range of category verticals and brands, including adidas, Gatorade, Mastercard, PlayStation and YouTube, and many others.
LBB> Which creative campaigns from other brands (past or present) have inspired you most in your career and why?
Ruaridh> Growing up in Scotland, I always loved the work of iconic brands like Tennent’s Lager and Irn-Bru, particularly the way they borrowed from culture to give back to culture with a distinctly Scottish spin. Check out this reworking of Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman as a prime example. I think that type of work was ahead of its time, as it’s something we constantly see now with brands riffing off moments in internet or pop culture to make something new.
LBB> What areas of marketing are you seeing most exciting potential for creativity?
Ruaridh> It’s such an exciting time to be in advertising, as technology is evolving so rapidly that it feels like there’s a new way to activate things on an almost weekly basis. The potential for AI is an obvious one, but I still think social is the most exciting place to be given the opportunities it provides for brands to directly connect with the communities they serve. The days of just shouting down to consumers are long gone. We now have the tools to co-create, build spaces, and actually work with audiences to reflect their world, which for me, opens up a ton of possibilities when it comes to storytelling.
LBB> You must see so many ideas pitched to you - and have had to sell in so many ideas to the rest of your company. So what’s the key to selling a great idea?
Ruaridh> A strong insight, an interesting hook and a clear execution. It sounds super simple when you say it like that, but I think distilling it down to the fundamentals is where you find the clarity that underpins great thinking.
LBB> In your experience how can marketing teams drive creativity throughout the rest of an organisation?
Ruaridh> I genuinely believe that everyone has creativity in them and good ideas can come from anywhere. In terms of cultivating it, providing spaces and opportunities for different perspectives is always a great place to start. For example, I’d actively encourage agencies or brands to occasionally throw an open brief out to the entire office and see what comes back. At We Are Social we once activated a Guinness campaign for the Rugby World Cup, and the hero execution was thought up by someone in client services. So you never know what people are capable of until you open up the floor.
LBB> What one piece of advice do you have for marketers at the beginning of their career who’re still figuring out how to drive impactful creative marketing?
Ruaridh> Find your voice and really work on developing what you think is good. There’s a lot of competition out there, but you’re the best in the world at being you. So to get noticed, stay curious, absorb as much as you can, and use your tastes and experiences to bring as much personality into your work as possible.
