"Diversity and inclusion are the future of creativity" - Susan Credle

I’m incredibly honoured to take on the role. I enjoyed attending the Wednesday-night One Show and celebrating outstanding colleagues.

On the Thursday, I participated in the Executive Leaders Session. It’s an outstanding day-long programme, now in its second year. What stands out most to me is the generosity and vulnerability that the attendees bring with them.

Throughout the day, group leaders each ask a challenging question of the group, and the conversation that follows is full of helpful advice and observations, regardless of where we work. The question I posed to the group was titled: “Is your agency starting to look like a high school where the seniors never graduate?” We discussed the tension between autonomy and leadership. I learned so much, thanks to the positive energy and spirit in the room.

I hope that, as leaders, we can use these experiences to create an industry in which honest, open conversations are both the expectation and the norm.

I also sat on a panel where we discussed Project Meddle, a case study entered into social on behalf of Russia. Out of that conversation, I realised that our industry needs a way for passion projects to be celebrated, along with work done for clients.

As a woman taking over the chair position, I’m conscious of the responsibility I have to the industry, when it comes to diversity and inclusion.

I will focus on working with the industry to continue to support and expand the human and economic value of creativity in marketing.

Molla has done an incredible job these last four years, and my goal is to use the platform he is handing over to me to further encourage diversity and inclusiveness in the work that our companies create. This is The One Club for Creativity, and diversity and inclusion for creativity are the future.

The interesting thing about this year’s award winners is that there are no major trends. This is good news, because it means people are solving for real business problems and brand opportunities, instead of jumping on a trend.

I believe this is because authenticity has been stressed over and over, the past few years, and thanks to social media, consumers are holding brands to that.

Work that feels on-brand and that is meaningful makes us feel something, provides a service, fixes a problem or starts a conversation is being recognised not only by juries, but by the public. As a result, the creative that is being awarded is less precious and more powerful.

My favourite work this year is, “It’s a Tide Ad.” The Tide brand has been famous for stain stories for years. To go stainless strategically was a great twist, while remaining on-brand.

I also think the idea respected the viewer’s intelligence. They didn’t dumb down this meta idea. People like to use their brains. They like to get the joke. And finally, to hijack all the other Super Bowl ads is a marketer’s dream and a competitor’s nightmare, and it proved that even with the most traditional media, you can still bring untraditional thinking.

How has attending Creative Week inspired you for the year ahead? Describe the One Show 2018 experience in a nutshell.
Curating great work and celebrating that work with your peers is incredibly inspiring. It is important to remind ourselves of the bar we must continually set for ourselves. I genuinely believe that great creative ideas, brilliantly executed, will not only grow our industry but will also make the world better.

As do we. Click through to our One Show special section for all the latest updates on The One Club for Creativity’s Creative Week 2018.