A curious inquiry about the role and responsibilities of a creative director within the media sphere.
Over the past two-and-a-half decades, Nick Wright has forged a reputation in marketing, media, and creative sectors, with a focus on gaming, film, TV, culture, and the live arts. He spent over five years managing a business as a partner at Amplify before joining Havas in 2013, where he has served roles in strategy, creative, and growth at Havas Entertainment, Havas Media Group, and the Network. In January 2023, Wright assumed the role of CEO at Havas Play UK, an agency specialized in entertainment, sports, technology, and fandom.
In an interview, Wright discusses the intersection of media and creativity within Havas and its attempts to infuse more media thinking into the creative process. With Havas Play's tagline of "helping brands play meaningfully in culture," and Wright's past comments on inspiring creativity in media clients, we asked him about the ways in which he brings together culture, creativity, and media at Havas.
Wright: Since joining Havas, there has been a shift in perceptions, with creative thinkers now expected in the media sector. However, the silos between creative and media departments continue to exist, and we rarely co-create campaigns that seamlessly blend creative and media elements. Ideally, I strive for a point where the media and creative aspects of a campaign cannot be separated.
We explored whether clients prefer a closer collaboration between creative and media teams. Wright explained that while some brands and clients adopt this approach, others struggle to combine traditional working methods, such as briefing their ad agency before their media agency. He opined that the financial crisis and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have swayed clients back towards a return on ad spend (ROAS) mentality.
In addition, Wright revealed that Havas is encouraging the alignment of media and creative strategies. He revealed that the company has brought in new team members, such as Emma Withington and Emily Fairhead-keen, to upstream this thinking and facilitate collaboration between the creative and media sides of the business.
When asked if he often receives briefs to begin with the media approach before developing the creative aspect, Wright confirmed that Havas has noticed an increase in doors opening to explore two-way thinking. He underlined the pendulum swing between creative and media thinking, suggesting that effective campaigns result from striking the right balance between the two, leading to targeted, focused, and more effective executions.
Wright also discussed the potential benefits of adopting media thinking to shape creative executions by suggesting a strategy of finding out where the audience is and what they want before creating more effective ideas that cater to the channels. He highlighted that media's data-driven approach offers a powerful tool for influencing the creative process.
Touching upon the streaming era and the opportunities it presents for branded entertainment, Wright observed the rise and fall of branded content, expressing a desire to see more high-quality branded content once again. He also highlighted Havas' successful collaboration on a Robot Wars TV show promoting a Magic: The Gathering card game expansion set as an example of effective media and creative integration.
The interview concluded with a discussion on gaming and its crossover opportunities with other media types, with Wright highlighting Havas' expertise in the gaming sector, particularly its ability to offer knowledge and guidance to gaming clients seeking to tap into this emerging market. He encouraged advertisers to consider gaming as part of a comprehensive media plan, addressing the fear and lack of understanding that some brands might have towards gaming.
- Nick Wright, in his role as CEO at Havas Play UK, is striving for a point where the media and creative aspects of a campaign cannot be separated.
- Wright revealed that Havas is promoting the alignment of media and creative strategies, and has brought in new team members to facilitate collaboration.
- Havas has observed an increase in doors opening to explore two-way thinking, with Wright confirming that clients are often seeking a closer collaboration between creative and media teams.
- Wright believes that effective campaigns result from striking the right balance between creative and media thinking, leading to targeted, focused, and more effective executions.
- Wright also expressed a desire to see more high-quality branded content, using Havas' collaboration on the Robot Wars TV show as an example of effective media and creative integration.
- Wright encouraged advertisers to consider gaming as part of a comprehensive media plan, addressing the fear and lack of understanding that some brands might have towards gaming, highlighting Havas' expertise in the gaming sector.
