Nils Leonard

Nils Leonard, Co-founder and Creative Director of Uncommon, shares his bold insights on creativity in advertising. He discusses Uncommon's groundbreaking out-of-home campaigns, including British Airways' evocative 'Reflections' and the emotional storytelling behind B&Q’s approach. Nils contrasts the creative energies of the UK and US, urging a shift from cynicism to belief and experimentation. He challenges creators to find inspiration in pain points and reimagine traditional formats, emphasizing action over apathy to revive authentic creativity.

Nils Leonard is returning to the Uncensored CMO podcast after selling his agency, Uncommon to Havas. We discuss what's next, why he feels it's an investment not an acquisition, what AI means for creativity, culture and more.Timestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:01:11 - Selling Uncommon to Havas00:02:10 - What does partnering with Havas allow them to do?00:08:22 - How did the team react?00:09:50 - Expanding to the US00:12:22 - What’s changing?00:14:42 - Part 2: What’s new with Uncommon?00:16:33 - Keeping creativity alive00:19:20 - Is advertising dead?00:21:21 - Getting Chat GPT to write a new British Airways Strapline00:22:49 - Chat GPT writes an ad for British Airways00:24:46 - What car brand Nils would most like to work on00:27:01 - The work Uncommon actually did for British Airways00:28:52 - The importance of advertising internally00:29:59 - Making 512 different productions for BA00:32:13 - The power of simplicity00:34:26 - Making out of home powerful00:35:22 - What does AI mean for creativity?00:38:09 - Do CMOs understand the value of creativity?00:43:58 - Biggest problems we as an industry need to solve00:47:27 - Demonstrating the value of creativity00:50:57 - Creating culture in a growing agency00:55:11 - Power of generosity00:56:26 - Uncommon’s “faff tax”00:58:45 - The world’s #1 podcast by Jon Evans00:59:59 - 2 Uncommon stories01:02:51 - What what Nils do if he wasn’t running Uncommon?

Leandro Bejeto, Unilever's CMO for Beauty, discusses how Vaseline Verified transformed user-generated content into a community-driven fact-checking initiative. Juliana Richter from Ogilvy reveals the importance of amplifying creator content across various channels while ensuring authenticity. Nils Leonard of The Ordinary challenges beauty marketing norms with a transparency-first approach, promoting real-life engagement over celebrity endorsements. Asad Dunner emphasizes the need to distinguish meaningful DEI conversations from noise, urging clarity and relevance in cultural discussions.

In this engaging discussion, Nils Leonard, Co-Founder of Uncommon Creative Studio, shares insights from his role in rebranding EA Sports’ beloved FIFA series as EA Sports FC. He highlights the challenges of distancing the brand from FIFA while respecting its 30-year legacy. Leonard discusses the innovative new logo, dynamic visuals, and how they ensured authenticity and excitement in their marketing approach. The conversation also touches on the collaborative creative process that led to a successful launch that connected with millions of players.

Nils Leonard, Co-founder of Uncommon, discusses the impact of AI on creativity, emphasizing the emotional aspect of creative acts. The podcast explores the intersection of AI and creativity, the influence of beautiful creations on culture, and the role of AI in marketing strategy. It highlights the importance of maintaining a human touch in creativity and embracing innovation in business.