TTL Senior Art Director

Ogilvy South Africa is part of one of the largest marketing communications networks in the world. Operating in 83 countries, we offer a doorway for clients to access innovative creative solutions that give their brands the competitive edge in a complex, hyper-connected world.

In a fragmented marketplace, a brand with meaning and coherence is a powerful business asset. At Ogilvy, we design brands, turn them into an experience and communicate their story. We make brands matter.

The ROLE

Since we believe in creative work that disrupts, we are looking for a candidate who is going to embrace modern marketing principles and is a self-starter. This is an individual who is not afraid to challenge the norm and embodies our philosophy of divine discontent (Never stop chasing brilliance attitude).

We are therefore looking for a truly TTL Art Director. Must have 8+ years’ experience. Working on through the line campaigns, as well as digital and social first briefs. Africa working experience will be an advantage. Able to comfortably work across multiple smaller brands and if the need arises.

To complement the above, we’ll also be looking for:

1. Highly conceptual individual (Must show a minimum of 5 projects)
2. Demonstrate exceptional strategic thinking (Provide 2 examples)
3. Track record of leading the conceptualization and execution of campaigns (Show minimum of 5 examples)
4. Must demonstrate in-depth understanding of new and existing digital platforms
5. Won at international or local awards (i.e. Cannes, One Show, Loeries, Clios, Bookmarks etc.)
6. Must have at least 1 international merit or 1 local medal
7. Must show examples of problem solving
8. Experience on an alcohol brand or similar
9. Give an example of proactivity that led to better work, processes etc.

RESPONSIBILITIES

As a Senior Creative you will help lead our passionate, multi-talented studio, guiding more junior members to deliver, and encourage exceptional integrated concepts that exceed client briefs and expectations.

A Senior TTL Art Director is an important contact point in our agency, so they can expect to be craft-led, strategically driven, media agnostic, agile and consistently conceptual, with a desire to transform brands by creating exceptional, intuitive, and human-centred products and experiences.

The successful candidate will be tuned into all aspects of South African popular culture and the platforms and media it plays in, as well as have a strong point of view on what it takes to win in this space, with the experience to back it up. Immaculate art direction ability is paramount.

What you’ll do every day

Responsibilities:

1. Be part of the strategic process and interrogate the brief
2. Scope, plan & manage the creative process on projects
3. Manage & mentor the creative team
4. Work with other disciplines (Strategists, Developers, Media, Accounts, etc) to ensure cohesive team integration, and alignment with broader business objectives
5. Be a champion for innovative media solutions on every brief
6. Play an active role in campaign planning
7. Participate in pitches for new business
8. Define the visual language of overall campaigns
9. Manage multiple projects simultaneously
10. Generate ideas and sell them into clients and other members of the team
11. Lead the craft of an idea
12. Compile presentations for clients & new ways to present
13. Attend client briefings & present to clients
14. Attend film and photoshoots
15. Source inspirational material and references of how to push creativity

You’ll also be required to develop the following:

1. Good understanding of influencer, Vlogger, Mobile, Podcast, out-of-home, guerrilla, activations, and direct marketing
2. Great time management
3. Ability to work under pressure & meet tight deadlines
4. Strong communication skills with ability to provide rationales for creative choices made
5. In-depth working knowledge of existing and emerging technologies & platforms
6. A strong understanding of strategic processes
7. Able to work with team members & delegate effectively
8. Understand the client’s business requirements; and understand how our services should be applied to solve business problems
9. A deep connection with the client team.
10. Agility is key

Working knowledge of these tools: