UK Creative Festival 2024 Highlights: “Only Art Can Make You Feel and Only Feeling Can Make You Act”

Sandwiched between a week of grey skies and rainfall, were two anomalous days of sunshine during which the 2024 UK Creative Festival and careers fair unfolded. 

Down in Margate, the seaside town on England’s southeast coast, you’ll find Dreamland – the iconic amusement park where the festival is hosted. Given the scale of the event, it’s an easily made mistake to view it in isolation. But the festival itself is the final product of a year of endless graft from the Creative Circle and Creative Foundation (the Circle’s charity arm). Through the doors came thousands of students, young talent, ad-landers, brands and experts, all hungry to teach and be taught. 

Maybe it's the fresh air free from smog, the open space, or the slower pace and stillness that gives you time to think, that makes Margate one of the UK’s most burgeoning creative scenes, having an almost gravitational pull for ad-landers. 

A Note on Atmosphere

There’s one main observation that I took away regarding the difference between this year's festival and last, and that’s the sheer scale of the thing. What was before spread between three iconic speakers venues and a roller-blade rink careers fair, was now stretched across every corner of Dreamland. Walking in you’re met by what I now know to be typical of the UKCF, but still a surprise when coming from the head-down-don’t-talk-to-me faces you become accustomed to seeing in London. It’s the group of volunteers who light up when they see you enter; regardless of who you are or what title you hold, you are treated the same. These are people delighted to welcome you into the premises and to wish you well on your way.

There’s something quite significant about that, because it doesn’t just end at the door. Everyone wearing one of the shirts adorned with the UKCF logo should be proud of the job they do – but I think they do it because they are all singing from the same hymn-sheet. These individuals brimming with their own idiosyncrasies are united under one manifesto and cause. That is, to forge a different path in a creative community often laser-focused on awards alone. 

Here, the promise isn’t only exposure to world-class creativity, talent, expertise and opinions. It’s also the ambition to pull every bit of ourselves together – shoulders that ordinarily wouldn’t have the opportunity to touch, stand side by side. They come in a bid to support a body that pours its heart, soul, and everything else that can be mustered up into the young people who would otherwise miss out on this weird and wonderful industry that we have found ourselves in. 

Careers Fair

The first room I entered was that rollerblading rink mentioned earlier – it's known as the ‘Roller Disco’. It buzzed with the fervour of stalls hosting exhibitions that work to introduce young people to the possibilities in the creative industries, working to demystify the roles available. 

From special effects, to radio and TV, participants were spoiled for choice. Across the fair, talks and sessions offered young people more in depth insights into their field of interest. From ‘Becoming a TikTok Influence’, to ‘Branding 101’, and media sessions from the Global Academy at Global, the UK & Europe's largest radio company, there really was something for everyone. Many sessions were held in ‘The Classroom’ too – an area dedicated to a full schedule of interactive workshops to get involved in. Small, more intimate sessions could also be found throughout Dreamland in the form of four ‘Beach Huts’ there to facilitate learning. 

In keeping with the UKCF-standard of inclusivity, speakers began by giving a brief description of what they look like to accommodate any visually-impaired audience members. One of the many small signposts that care and consideration has been given to the entire event. 

Industry Insights 

AI

When it came to discussions about AI, most panellists were of the view that the technology should be honed for its creative enablement capabilities, rather than AI creative itself. There was very much a tone of ‘we have bigger fish to fry’ when it came to conversations surrounding creativity itself. AI will continue to be, but the focus was on humans rather than robots. In other words, creativity and paving the way for the future was the star of the show.

This one is short – and that’s something most seemed grateful for. 

Purpose First 

This side of the festival was the most ‘against the grain’ messaging I witnessed. We’ve just emerged from the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2024 where the takeaway was that purpose should be both driven and upholstered by commerce and business impact. 

At the UKCF, however, different conclusions were being drawn. We were told that the financial side of things should be the single last thing that comes into play when contemplating purpose-driven creativity.

It was a total treat getting to witness ITV’s group director of sustainability and social purpose, Susie Braun,  in conversation with  Lucy Jameson, co-founder of creative studio, Uncommon. Their headlining question was ‘Does Purpose Pay?’ – and to skip to the end, the answer was a resounding ‘yes’. 

The discussion unfolded around a particular case study involving a collaborative effort between ITV and Uncommon. ITV’s biggest campaign, ‘Britain Get Talking’, has been running over a period of five years, entitled and works to bring a country experiencing a mental health crisis together. It came from a desire to commit efforts to resolving a mental health epidemic which, at the time, wasn’t being discussed in the way it is now. But they didn’t stop there. Susie emphasised how deeply the commitment to mental health has influenced ITV’s strategy. One of the standout initiatives was the 2022 “Voices Against Loneliness” campaign, which worked with the contextual backdrop the pandemic became ITV’s most liked ad…ever. 

The pair stressed that purpose must be ingrained in a company’s ethos, rather than being merely performative. Lucy’s philosophy, “The value of a company is the side of the problems you solve,” encapsulated Uncommon’s approach. She bluntly advised, “Don’t be a twat. Try to solve a real problem.” This no-nonsense attitude upheld a broader industry lesson: that authenticity and dedication to real issues outshine superficial attempts to clutch at purpose. 

The success of ‘Britain Get Talking’ with its bold pausing of live TV during Britain’s Got Talent finale, reaching over 20 million people, exemplified how ambitious ideas can yield substantial impact long after the TV has been turned off. As Lucy advises, “What sets you apart is how close you get to the edge of what’s possible.” And so much is possible. 

Continuing on the ‘purpose’ thread, the Guardian’s head of marketing, Joel Midgley, graced the stage to host the session entitled, “The Future is Caring – Crafting Campaigns with Purpose.” The session explored a range of impactful campaigns beginning with the “See my Pain” initiative developed by Nurofen and McCann. This project worked to address the gender paingap, signalling that women experience more pain than their male counterparts. Creative director Ruth Boulter, who led the campaign with McCann, told us that “one in two women feel dismissed when they go to the doctor,” underscoring the real urgency of the issue. By encouraging women to share their stories, they created a platform to amplify female voices, striving for lasting change. “Our data proved that the gender pay gap is real. To create lasting change, Nurofen had to change,” said Ruth. Nurofen’s marketing manager, Mathieu Besbrandes, told us that the brand had committed to gender balance in research, has invested in training and is working innovatively to bring improved solutions for women’s pain.

Nike’s support for same-sex marriage in Australia was another example, driven by genuine care rather than opportunism. It was noted, “When it comes from someone who really gives a shit... it doesn’t feel gross, because you can see someone’s heart and soul went into that.”

The discussion touched on the evolving nature of purpose. “Maybe we need to change the word ‘purpose’? Maybe we need to rebrand to ‘belief’, or ‘fight'’' it was suggested, recognising that the word ‘purpose’ itself has become tarnished. The overall message however, was that if you do purpose well, commercial success will naturally follow, but if you go out chasing commercial success, it is tainted. 

Boundary-Pushing Creative

The Channel4 Idents, which went on to pick up Gold of Golds at the Creative Circle Awards on Thursday night, are about as iconic as iconism gets when it comes to culture-embedded British creativity. The opportunity to create something that will be immortalised for ten years is something many creators could only dream of. This session focused on “The Importance of Heart and Craft” giving a behind the scenes insight into the creation of a variety of the idents from four filmmakers. What began as 17 directors creating 500 concepts, was later narrowed down to 25 films encapsulating the themes of: Identity, Land, Release, System and Love. 

Each described their challenge of working with such a broad brief, and what it took from them creatively. Each ident is etched with the creative signature of each of the filmmakers. From extensive pre-vis, inspiration from romantic artwork, rigorous CGI and conceptualising with a swooping camera angle, the project demanded the best of each of them. 

The launch of the 25 scenes said to represent British society was sounded by a poem from John Joseph Holt. The audio works so seamlessly to compliment the visuals that many would be surprised to learn that the directors hadn’t heard the poem before their films were completed. 

We were later treated to some coveted insights surrounding the grand final of the 2023 Eurovision song contest, which was held in Liverpool due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Dan Shipton of Black Skull Creative spoke to BBC Studios’ Lee Smithurst about doing everything they could to put Ukraine front and centre, while working with sensitivity and empathy. Lee revealed that not only were 50% of the film team Ukrainian, but his one regret was being unable to play the Beatles’ "You'll Never Walk Alone" due to rights issues. 

Creativity and Science 

Perhaps one of the most interesting discussions from the festival was owed to System1’s Orlando Wood and Quiet Storm’s Rania Robinson. Their conversation was around the topic of “How to Unite Creativity and Science to Unleash Magic” 

Orlando drew a distinction between two contrasting houses of marketing: Salesmanship and Showmanship. During the 1950s, there was an over-emphasis on performance-driven, scientific advertising which led to monotony. Orlando worries that we are returning to this. He advised that both Salesmanship and Showmanship are necessary, but Showmanship should take precedence. “Showmanship advertising treats the page as a stage on which to perform,” said Orlando, noting that ads must evoke emotion and trust, much like the honest approach of Volkswagen’s classic campaigns. The pair advocated for imagination and storytelling, stating, “Only art can make you feel and only feeling can make you act.” The directors’ role is to craft narratives that captivate and create a transformative experience for the viewer.

Humour was also upheld for the crucial role it plays in driving impactful advertising. Successful campaigns like Haribo’s long-running and globally adapted ads (owed to Quiet Storm), demonstrate that humour, when done well, can achieve wide-spread reach and lasting engagement. As Orlando put it, “You know you’ve got something when people start parodying your work.” Ultimately, uniting creativity and science isn’t just about making ads interesting, it’s about showing intention and creating memorable experiences.

The State of the Nation

Hosted by YCUK CEO and founder, Christoff Taylor, the panel discussed “The Importance of Culture in Building a More Equitable Creative Sector”. Rory Sutherland, accidental TikTok star and vice chairman of Ogilvy stressed the need for creativity to have a parallel seat to logic in problem solving. He argued, “the real challenge isn’t inventing the thing, it’s persuading people to adopt it.” Highlighting the importance of culture in creativity, Laura Jordan Bambach, founder and CCO of Unchartered, advocated for a celebration of individuality. She told the audience, “The only way to optimise creativity is to be as vulnerable as possible.”

A Call to Action 

Jez (or Jeremy as he’s known officially) and Dina Green are the power-couple who have been running this show since its inception. When you think about the love and care it must take for them to pull together and work as relentlessly as they do to make something for the betterment of our young people, and by virtue of that, the industry itself, it’s mind-boggling. God knows they would have had an easier life and earned a fair buck doing something else. But their ‘why’ is the thing that has them showing up every day, and year. But it’s too much to shoulder alone. It’s a ‘why’ that we as an industry need to be rallying behind and playing our part in. 

See, Margate isn’t just a place for creatives to flood to to pick up awards. It’s also one of the UK’s most underprivileged areas, meaning that work to support young people is not only good to see, but a complete necessity. 

It really does take a village, but it’s a good thing there are plenty of us advertising-folk to meet the tall task. 

To use podcaster and founder of Reidentify, Jonathan Reid’s words, “If I want to be a part of this world, I will die embodying the change I want to see.”

So, consider this your official invitation.