Why Anne Boothroyd Isn’t Giving Up on Human Creativity
When Anne Boothroyd left her last role as ECD at Dentsu Creative, she put out a call offering 20 hours of free mentoring for young people in the creative industries. The industry veteran, who has recently been announced as a member of the shortlisting jury for the Film category at this year's Lions Festival of Creativity at Cannes, has made a habit of paying it forward, acknowledging her path was a bit of a 'wonky journey'.
Creative portfolio aside, Anne also knows there is plenty to learn outside the industry.
"I run a small business with my husband in a totally different industry," Anne tells LBB. "It's a European and British vehicle restoration business called The Toy Shop. It gives me a completely different perspective on what it takes to run a business and the dedicated talent we're so fortunate to have in the creative industries."
It's unsurprising, then, that Anne considers herself an all-rounder, and her creative career is one of many interests.
"I confess I actually wanted to be a vet, and I have recently returned to my first love of riding horses in my spare time," Anne says. "But I've always been creative at heart. I love to get underneath a problem and find a solution."
"My sister worked at Mojo as a designer. I used to go in there as a kid and think it was pretty fabulous. Maybe I was always destined to be in advertising."
Anne may have been drawn in by the allure of advertising in the '90s, but it's the human parts of the business that she's built her career around.
"I'm a bit obsessive about understanding the people at the other end of the ideas we're putting into the world. The human condition fascinates me and is always where my best ideas begin. As a creative leader, I adore mentoring people, building teams, and winning together."
Although she won't be attending the Festival this year, Anne recognises the value of creative awards. To her, they are an opportunity to continue to showcase the impact creativity can have.
"It's refreshing to see the link between highly creative work and what creative award judges look for, and the ultimate effectiveness of brands, being tested and proven out. It's something I have always believed to be true, but it's brilliant to have the data to back it up."
Anne acknowledges that putting creativity at the heart of a brand's strategy can be challenging for clients managing multiple internal stakeholders.
"I think with all clients, it's about taking them on a journey and arming them with the information to make what they do easier. When that partnership is working at its best, brilliant work is ultimately the result."
"One of my favourite recent pieces of work was for New Zealand Blood Service. We created the Unseen Emergencies platform to shake people out of their complacency around blood donation. The campaign went on to win a gold Effie and the For Good award at the 2022 Axis Awards."
Human emotion, Anne believes, is a powerful asset in creating a successful campaign. It's for this reason that, although she sees AI as a game-changing tool for creatives, the human element will always be essential to create truly original and effective work.
"Creativity is more about the process than the answer, and every hand that touches the work hopefully makes it better along the way. If we clean up all the mess, we risk losing the magic that creates those moments of brilliance and moves the industry forward."
Finally, Anne also reflected on growth in the industry – especially in terms of gender diversity.
"It's still not super simple being a woman in this industry."
Ultimately, Anne's success represents a positive reflection of how the industry has been changing, but Anne believes we still have a way to go to reach true diversity.
"I thought when I started that I would have to choose between being a mum or a creative. Thankfully the industry has evolved enough that I've been able to do both. Unfortunately, until we tackle the unconscious biases that colour how we perceive women in leadership, it will continue to be a tough gig."
