Creative Director - adidas

We have a unique opportunity for an incredibly talented and driven Creative Director to join our team in London, taking a leading role in the running of our adidas account globally and growth of the studio.

This is a brand new role that’s being created to support the Creative Partner in ensuring we maintain the extremely high level of creative and strategic direction as we broaden the studio’s creative offering and output.

We are looking for someone who can blend highly strategic understanding and cross-channel ideation, with beautiful and progressive narrative, visual direction, detail-orientated execution, agency leadership, project ownership and hands-on creation. It’s a senior creative leadership role with a focus on best-in-class creative work, leading the team to deliver the very best output, but also playing a role in managing the studio alongside a team of incredible creatives.

Working with our Creative Partner and our wider creative department, you will be responsible for overseeing everything from brand and campaign strategy, creative direction and concept development, copywriting, art direction, global high profile stills + film shoots, campaign post-production, editing and animation, music development, and visual design for adidas across the business.

You’ll be responsible for growing and mentoring your team of specialists to complement the growing needs of our global adidas clients, covering everything from the adidas by Stella McCartney collection campaigns, hype sneaker drops, innovation comms strategies with a focus on sustainable materials and circularity, to setting the visual language and art direction for their latest top-tier collaborations.

Being a CD at CH.S is an end-to-end, top to bottom role, meaning you’ll be in the fabric of absolutely everything across the project. That means doing everything from setting the global strategy and creative direction for the next big drop, or presenting creative to the very senior global leadership brand team, all the way down to setting creative deck layouts, checking and approving designs, copy and toolkits to ensure the highest level of creative standard across the board.

CH.S is a fast-paced, high output creative environment with an amazing team and a high level of craft and creative expectation. We do a lot, we do it fast, but we have fun doing it. We push boundaries, challenge briefs, work with amazing global talent to create beautiful work, and we truly care about what we do.

In order to be able to do the role you’ll need to have a strong understanding of Gen Z and Millennial audiences, you’ll have an appreciation for healthy & active living, you’ll have an affinity for a broad range of creative industries including fashion and streetwear, music, image/film making and you’ll possess a lot of current experience delivering global campaigns across social and digital channels.

CREATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own the creative and strategic direction of all adidas projects, in collaboration with other senior stakeholders and the Creative Partner.
• Lead by example and immerse yourself within the client’s business so you can identify, understand and overcome commercial and internal challenges, inspiring and delivering the best and most progressive work possible, whilst still considering the holistic needs of the brand.
• Lead and collaborate with strategy & creative teams to develop considered and effective creative approaches based on current cultural insights and a good understanding of the consumer & brand.
• Be a creative and channel specialist – understand the roles, opportunities and production constraints of different content types across different channels.
• Run projects and pitches with minimal senior oversight – championing creative direction, intent and creative excellence whilst being aware of commercial pressures including resourcing, budget and profitability.
• Communicate and champion creative thinking and technical execution to clients throughout each project.
• Oversee project teams to help them deliver their best work. Know when to step in, know when to step back.
• Own your accounts creatively and commercially, picking up work across the business where needed and be a detail-oriented senior when it comes to approving work.
• Answer briefs with great work as a solo creative, and a great leader. Get hands-on.
• Collaborate with the product leads to push briefs and projects through the agency.
• Understand how to brief craft specialists – designers or directors, for example – to deliver projects against your creative vision.
• Develop relationships and build a climate of trust, openness and respect.
• Possess highly advanced communication skills to effectively present a point of view, using logic, empathy, and fact to craft a compelling narrative.
• Represent CH.S by connecting with new talent, and inspiring the next generation of creatives.
• Be an excellent strategic and creative partner to our clients.
• Have fun, create beautiful work, and make a difference.

MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

• Accurately scope projects alongside project managers and producers, taking responsibility for delivering on time and within budget.
• Challenge briefs and strategies where necessary.
• Understand and contribute to the agency’s business objectives, taking responsibility for helping deliver them and progressing the studio and CH.S brand.
• Understand how individual projects fit into wider strategic and business goals for the agency, and how to prioritise workflows accordingly.
• Play an active role in helping Project Managers, Producers and Senior Leadership manage clients – balancing creative with production realism to set and manage expectations around projects.
• Be an ambassador for the studio both internally and externally.
• Proactively bring solutions to business problems you identify to the senior management teams, and take responsibility for implementing them.
• Work with the leadership team to develop, assess and implement initiatives that improve the work and culture of the company.

REQUIREMENTS & EXPERTISE

• Fluent in English, both written and spoken.
• Extensive experience working at an Associate Creative Director or Creative Director level in a similar agency environment.
• Demonstrated creative success in leading collaborative multi-functional teams.
• Considerable experience of European and Global projects.
• Experience developing/leading client relationships.
• Proven track record generating new business.
• Exceptional information presentation (visual and written) experience.
• Experience in, and enthusiasm for, creating 360 campaigns from brief to delivery and beyond.
• Experience in side-by-side collaboration with Art Direction, Writers, Directors, Editor/ Animators, Design and UX teams and leaders.
• A strong track record in large-scale project planning, including accurate estimation of team and time.
• Expertise in Keynote, Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office.
• Full working knowledge of and experience in brand, campaign, social, and digital campaign development.
• Ability to juggle multiple projects and to delegate work efficiently.
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team.
• Excellent typography, layout and design skill.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills.

QUALITIES & CHARACTERISTICS

• A confident self-starter and a highly motivated individual with a strong work ethic, willing to regularly go that extra mile to ensure we always deliver for our team and our clients.
• Understands the big picture and will always balance the needs of our people with the needs of the business.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to balance multiple workstreams, tasks, and deliverables.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and bring clarity to fast-paced and at times fluid projects.
• A leader who assumes responsibility and enjoys being accountable for their work.
• Proven ability to creatively solve problems through negotiation, tact and diplomacy.
• An open-minded but critical thinker who is able to see opportunities as well as weigh their potential risks and rewards.
• Highly collaborative and transparent. You\’re not a sole contributor, but rather someone who will work with the team, where sharing knowledge and experience is second nature in order to grow together.
• You are never afraid to speak your mind, and are exceptionally clear when you do. You’re empathetic and will ensure that your comments are always fair, considered and respectful.
• You will bring energy, passion and optimism to your role and will ensure that you and those around you are motivated and enjoy working together.

SALARY

Full-time role starting asap with a competitive salary and benefits package.

CH.S is an equal opportunities employer. We are determined to create a diverse group at all levels of our company and we welcome all members of the community to apply for openings with us.

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