Confessions of a Creative Director

A fascinating conversation with a fascinating creative mind! Tom Christmann sees our world in a very different way. He's an evangelist for the use of found content and believes that we're already living in the Metaverse, where creativity is ripe for the picking everywhere you look. Prepare to have your mind blown several times during this wide ranging conversation.

When Vikki Ross Writes, people read. When Vikki Ross speaks, you should listen. Queen of the Copywriters and a sought-after thought-leader in the field of Brand and TOV development, Vikki has worked for some of the biggest brands in the world like Sky, ITV, Twitter, Spotify, Adidas, Sony Music, Nando's and Pandora. And now she's here to give us a glimpse of what it takes to create a power Tone Of Voice.  Follow her on Twitter @VikkiRossWrites

Jordan Brady is the real f'ing deal! A former stand up comedian turned highly sought-after director, Jordan has directed over 1300 spots, 4 feature films, 3 documentaries, 1 Netflix Comedy Special and coined the phrase Bow-Chicka-Bow-Wow, true story!  In this episode he shares tips, tricks and best practices for working with a commercial director as an agency creative director. Spoiler alert....make sure craft services has jicama, be patient and don't be a dick.  To learn more about Jordan, including information about his film directing school, visit truegent.tv. 

George Tannenbaum's mind is filled with weird connections, colorful characters and an encyclopedic knowledge of the agency business. This wide ranging conversation is like a roller-coaster ride through the lessons he's learned about creating great work during a storied career that continues today with his one-mad-man shop GeorgeCo.  

Pitching (read: pitching and losing 90 percent of the time) is one of the hardest and most frustrating parts of being a Creative Director. We've been taught to believe that great ideas sell themselves. That couldn't be further from the truth. On the very first Confessions of a Creative Director Mastercast, pitch and presentation Yoda-like guru Ben Levy lets us in on the big secret....PITCHING THE WRONG F@#$%^& BRIEF WE ARE. 

The masterminds behind Major in NYC join the podcast to discuss everything from their zero tolerance for boring to the launch of their very own brand Drugs for Plants to their mission to turn hacks everywhere into the next generation of creatives.   Click here to learn more about Major. Click here to connect with me.  And click here to check out my new book!  

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST EPISODES TO DATE! Jim Bosiljevac has perhaps the most well rounded creative career of any previous guest. Not only did he cut his teeth at some legendary shops, but he's also been client side at some big brands like his current gig as VP, Head of Brand Creative at Yahoo. And as if that weren't enough, he's also an Adjunct Professor in Advertising at UT Austin. Hear this great conversation where we' talk about everything from the his thoughts on the role of a creative director to the sometimes mind-boggling nature of being a CD AND a Client to the creative values he and his team at Yahoo have crafted to guide their work. You definitely want to listen to/watch this one all the way through!  Click here to learn more about Jim.  Click here to connect with me.  And click here to check out my new book!   

Group Creative Director Mike Potter has been around the block. From building the first websites for some of the biggest clients in the world to helping build communities for brands, Mike has a passion for emerging technologies and disciplines. Check out our great conversation where we talk about everything from his Hit The Mascot ideation technique to ad agency hijinks of the past. 

Chris DeNinno is the kind of Creative Director you want to drink beers and eat burritos with. He's cool, down to earth, accessible and super insightful. It's no wonder he's enjoyed an incredible career working at some of the best agencies in the world like FCB, Y&R, Chiat Day and David&Goliath just to name a few. And what makes him even more special is his contagious passion for teaching the next generation of Creatives through his side hustle as instructor at the Book Shop For Ads Portfolio School in LA. This is a must listen for anyone looking to break into the ad biz.  Learn more about the book shop here http://thebookshopads.com/ And don't forget to pick up my new book here https://mybook.to/whatsthebigidea

Sarah May Bates is by far the most accomplished guest I've had on the show thus far. She is the ultimate multi-hyphenate renaissance woman. Check out this amazing conversation where we talk about everything from her personal journey to become her authentic self to auditioning to star in some of her own TV spots! You really have to listen all the way through.