Creativity Squared: Richard James on Why We Are All Born with Creative Potential

Richard James is creative director at The Agency, Specsavers. He first joined Specsavers in 1999 and then left in 2004 to join a local agency working with clients including HSBC International, VisitGuernsey, Vets4Pets and a number of start-ups in Dubai. He re-joined Specsavers in 2011 and has been responsible for delivering Specsavers' award-winning creative work including the much-loved 'Should've' campaign. Between 1992 and 1998, he worked as a freelance photographer and features editor in Tokyo. 

Person

I suppose I would classify myself as an introvert. That doesn’t mean I’m shy but that I have a different approach to decision making and the way I give input. Introverts don’t like sitting in big meetings where everyone is chiming in with opinions, but prefer to take time to consider before responding. Quietness can come across as lack of engagement, largely because extraversion tends to be highly valued in the business world, but it’s not; it’s just different.  

I don’t like routine. I’m not process driven at all. My mind tends to wander and I don’t like the idea of everything repeating itself all the time. Yes, I have some form of morning routine in that I get up and walk the dogs each day, but when I get into my working day, if I was in too much of a regimented routine I would really struggle. I thrive on variety.

Fundamentally I believe we are all born with creative potential – if you look at the way young children solve problems, they show a lot of creativity. However, as you go through the education system that creativity tends to be side-lined in favour of passing exams. Without doubt, some people are better able to hold onto their creativity, and I believe it can come to the surface in the right environment. 

The majority of my interests lie in the arts world: literature; movies; music; photography and art. I love to explore new things and new ideas, whether that’s reading a different kind of book or listening to different genres of music. The truth is, if it isn’t making me uncomfortable, then I’m not really interested in it.

Product 

When it comes to assessing whether an idea is truly creative, I always look first and foremost at whether a piece of work is going to get noticed and whether it answers the brief. If you don’t get noticed then everything else is pointless; that’s the number one priority. At Specsavers, we operate within a category that is fairly low interest so we have to work hard to get people to notice and like our campaigns.

Creativity is about new ideas that can create value and as a creative I am always asking whether the idea is new and whether it will add some value to the business. That is the route to good work and the criteria hasn’t shifted. You want to be seen, you want to help the brand be successful and you want the customers to be interested in what you have to say. 

The creative campaign that I am most proud of has got to be ‘Should’ve’; it’s such an amazing proposition to work with. To have something that is in the vernacular is incredible - the fact that the public use ‘Should’ve’ in everyday conversation is great for us. When they do, they’re kind of doing the work for us. There isn’t anything quite like it anywhere.

Right now, there are pockets of greatness in the industry’s output, but in truth, I don’t think advertising is in a great place right now. There is good work being made, but it does feel like we’ve lost our way a bit. I’m sure that’s something to do with budgets being fragmented as a response to the plethora of channels available to advertisers. 

There isn’t a huge amount of genuinely brave work being made and I guess that may be because brands are conscious of being on the wrong end of a social media backlash. I understand the caution, but it does tend to lead us towards averageness. 

I think we have lost our sense of humour in advertising – everyone knows that humour is one of the quickest ways for people to like you. Wit and humour do a huge amount and in the right places, humour can really help to cut through and create mental availability. That’s how we use 'Should’ve’.

I think one of the channels which has been showing its worth recently is out of home. There’s some really good, innovative stuff being done with it.

Process

As an in-house agency, we never start completely from scratch; but are continuously building up, taking into consideration everything that’s gone before. I also love talking to strategists and planners about ideas; the inspiration and input they provide early in the process is invaluable.

I always encourage creatives to look at other advertising for inspiration, to look at TV shows and cartoons. Some of the early animations, like Tom & Jerry, are full of great ideas and are completely free from constraints, opening your eyes to what’s possible. 

Pinterest is a useful tool for finding inspiration, but I’m a true believer in good old paper and pen as the best tools. It’s important to recognise that creativity is a messy process, so you need space and people need to be able to work without interruption, which is why working environment is so crucial. 

I’m also a fan of very quick idea generation sessions, where we ask the team to come up with lots of ideas, writing anything and everything down, which often leads to some interesting nuggets and avoids too much discussion.

To get past the tricky bits, I always just say, what happens when you turn the idea upside down?

Press

I grew up in Cardiff. My dad was a painter (and surgeon) and him letting me mess about with his oil paints fired a love of just making stuff in me. I went on to study a degree in Fine Art, which gave me a good grounding in conceptual and critical thinking and also taught me to talk about and defend my work. So I guess it all stems from there.

I came to advertising quite late and I’d say that it was Graham Daldry, ex-creative director at Specsavers, who taught me (and others) the advertising craft. He was really good at spotting and nurturing talent, giving people opportunities and demonstrating commitment to making great work.

When it comes to external factors that help me work and get me frustrated, it’s probably the same as it is for everyone. Interruption, too much clutter, too many reminders about how little time there is left on the job…that kind of thing really hinders creativity. Space to play (I mean head space) and confidence from those around you help make for good work.

The best advice I can give to clients who are looking to get the best out of teams and agencies is to trust in them. Start from the perspective that they’re suggesting what they believe to be the right thing for your brand. Listen. Try to give collective feedback in one go. And be honest about the work’s positives or shortcomings. 

Being inclusive, providing psychological safety and giving people opportunities. Excessive pressure will lead to bad work, so don’t burn your people out.