Chief Creative Officer of TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, Chris Beresford-Hill, discusses his career, working with athletes on commercials, transitioning to a new agency, the importance of listening and improvising, a favorite failure from working with Napster, and the importance of difficult experiences for creative growth.
Using Facebook as a comedic outlet while being mindful of its impact on career.
Working with athletes: they are well-managed, professional, and pleasant to work with.
Importance of emotional intelligence and listening to clients, being genuine and open during meetings.
Deep dives
Being genuine on Facebook
Chris Baresford Hill discusses how he uses Facebook to crack jokes and express his thoughts, even throwing shade at certain brands. He initially saw Facebook as a platform to be funny and make fun of things, but he also feels the pressure about the potential impact on his career. Despite that, he continues to use Facebook as a place to share his personal self through comedy.
Working with athletes in advertising
Chris Baresford Hill reflects on his experience working with athletes for campaigns, particularly with Footlocker. He points out that contrary to common perceptions, the athletes he worked with were well-managed, professional, and punctual. He highlights James Harden as an example of someone who started off as hesitant but eventually developed trust and was willing to do anything for the brand. He also mentions that there were no truly unpleasant experiences with any athletes throughout his career.
The role of emotion in client interactions
Chris Baresford Hill acknowledges the importance of emotional intelligence in client interactions. He reveals that he is a good listener and focuses on building relationships with clients by listening to their needs and finding common goals. He believes that active listening and understanding client perspectives are crucial in delivering the best work possible. He also emphasizes the importance of being genuine and open during meetings, rather than relying solely on presentation decks.
The Challenges of Transitioning to a New Role
The podcast episode discusses the transition from being an Executive Creative Director (ECDA) at BBDO to becoming a Chief Creative Officer (CCO) in a new agency. The speaker highlights the significant differences in responsibilities and day-to-day tasks in the new role. They emphasize the importance of understanding agency management, building a business, and adapting to new challenges. While the speaker mentioned missing the sole focus on creative problem-solving, they express enthusiasm for the broader scope of responsibilities. Additionally, they discuss the need to handle HR matters and meetings that previously would not have required their involvement.
Aligning Goals and Breaking Down Barriers
This portion of the podcast explores the importance of aligning goals and breaking down barriers within an agency. The speaker emphasizes the importance of collaboration and mutual support between different roles within the agency, such as creatives, account managers, strategists, and finance professionals. They discuss the significance of everyone being invested in delivering the best possible output and taking pride in their work. The speaker shares their belief in fostering a positive relationship between creative and non-creative roles, encouraging everyone to take ownership of the agency's work. They highlight the difference between great agencies and mediocre ones, emphasizing the need for a shared focus on delivering exceptional creative work.
Chris Beresford-Hill is Chief Creative Officer of TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, whose clients include Adidas, Nissan and Pepsi. Prior to joining TBWA in 2017, Chris served as ECD of BBDO, where he led some of the agency’s most lauded work in recent years, for clients including Guinness, HBO, FedEx and Foot Locker. His early career was spent at Saatchi New York, Goodby San Francisco, and Modernista Boston. Chris has been named to AdAge's “40 under 40,” and Adweek’s “Creative 100." His work has received all the industry’s top honors for creativity and effectiveness, in addition to TED’s Ads Worth Spreading, and TIME magazine’s best Super Bowl ad of the decade.
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