Creative Directors

The weird thing about getting laid off is this: you have no job, but no real time off. The upside is I’ve lost easily 10 pounds doing nothing and have no need for Botox as my face is now in a blank re… more

Been offered a CD role at an LA agency for 200k. I’ve been in-house for a while so maybe i got used to the tech salary, but seems awfully low, no?

I’m finding more and more we’re playing all depts but especially PM, who, the good ones seem to be far and few. Can anyone give me an estimate of creative hours for concepting :60 spots (concepts + 3 … more

Struggling with a jealous spouse who can't stand that I have a creative partner of the opposite sex. Spouse's erratic behavior around this is starting to seriously impact our relationship. Any… more

What is the longest you have been on a project that goes nowhere? I have been on one for almost a year now. I don’t see client buying anything and it’s just constant rebrief and new work. It’s killing… more

I’m new at a small shop and we just made a piece of work that ticks a lot of boxes- the client is happy, everyone worked hard despite a lot of curveballs out of our control.

Unfortunately it’s not goo… more

Fellow CDs - how long are you getting for new campaign development? Discover/Strategy already done that was 2-3 months. Creative briefing is one week 11/15 or 16th. I was given a suggested first client review on … more

It's a gut punch to be laid off right before the holidays. Solidarity to everyone going through this right now.

I’m 54, been at an agency for 5yrs and have tried to elevate work. I’m at end. Not everyone is accountable for the work. Every department has own siloed expectations. Lots of egos. I’ve tried to build… more

If you've switched from a bigger agency to a boutique, any notable change in WLB as a CD?

Those of you who have worked @ smaller agencies (under 100 people-ish) what salary ranges have you seen for GCDs and ECDs?

Has anyone enjoyed RTO? Or maybe have just gotten used to commuting/being in the office again?

“It’s easier if I just do it myself”
One signal a team member is not ready to be a CD.

What was the steepest part of the learning curve when you started managing people/projects?

Hello fellow CDs I would love your advice about a (classic?) challenge that I am facing. I’m a copy CD and so usually get along well with more jr and sr copywriters - but recently I’ve had two separat… more

What are the most significant organizational difference between agency and in-house creative departments?

I’ll be starting a new job leading a creative department at a New York network agency in a few weeks. Eventually I want to turn around the quality of the creative product entirely, but that takes time to show. I … more

Is it me or does the pay for CD positions seem to be going down? I was laid off a few months ago and in my job search I've been noticing a lot of job postings paying less than I really think they … more

Just had a meeting in leadership that really ticked me off, and I'd love some advice. Essentially, they want to give us to use a drag and drop builder for all of our websites moving forward. The b… more

Any other CCO’s responsible for marketing their agency and leading new business?

What is the biggest mistake you ever made as a CD? What would have you done differently?

Because shiny things matter.

Here’s my take on the top 6 global award shows.

Ranked in order for an Aussie, keen to hear what others think.

Cannes.
D&AD
ONE Show
Clio
NYF
LIA





50th - Madstars

Any advice on finding some fulfillment in work again? The burnout at this point is resistant to everything that used to work

I’m curious about making the leap from agency side to brand side. I would love to hear stories and 1) are you happier 2) is the money better and 3) how do i do this

CDs/GCDs at network agencies. How often are you being put in multiple team projects where you are competing agains jr, mid, and sr level creatives, led by CCO or ECD? Such a lose-lose situation I feel… more

Hey CDs, are any of you using AI-generated stills of videos for final production?

Is there a $$ difference between VP, CD and CD? Or is it really a title change?

All of my clients are putting so much stock in content creator ads, but it all feels over saturated to me. I see tons of them all over the channels and they feel so disingenuous these days.
I’m curiou… more

I see a lot of posts and comments about toxic agency cultures up here. As CDs and creative leaders what are you doing to change this at your agency?

Has anyone used a recruiter? I’m wonder what your experience was and if you would recommend one. I’m a creative director looking for a change. As soon as I see a position open it seems like 100’s have… more

We think we prefer using “internal talent”

Having minor with the suits on my team. They have a tendency to 'forget' to include me in client presentations. It's happened twice now. And twice I have spoken to them about it. Any advic… more

A question about levels, layers and promotions.

I’m about to move to a much bigger agency in a Group CD role. Previously I was in a mid sized shop and reported into the CCO across two offices.

I’ll have double the amount… more