We are ZEAL – the UK’s Most Effective Brand Activation Agency.
Founded in 2014 by friends and colleagues Stewart Hilton and Robert White, ZEAL has pursued its ambition to be the World's Most Recommended Agency by recognizing that our amazing people are the key to our success.
We’re proud partners to Nestlé, Carlsberg, Arla, Weetabix, Suntory, Bacardi, PZ Cussons, and more, delivering award-winning work across brand strategy, shopper marketing, experiential, partnerships, social and integrated campaign development.
Twice named IPM 'Agency of the Year' (2024 & 2023) and winner of the Campaign Experience Awards’ 'Most Outstanding Creative Idea' (2024), our principles around our people are simple - you bring your passion, creativity and drive and we invest in your training, long-term personal development and give you the resources you need to thrive and create your best work.
We’re passionate about creating an inclusive place to work that celebrates and values diversity and inclusion, and ultimately enriches our culture.
So, if working with leading global brands on award-winning campaigns sounds like your ideal day, look no further!
Role in summary
As Creative Director you’ll lead and inspire our team of talented creatives and designers to deliver world-class work, that generates impact and ultimately supports our strategic agency vision.
Providing creative leadership, you’ll nurture and mentor senior creative talent, providing direction and coaching to impart your extensive knowledge enabling them to develop best-in-class creative and award-winning work. Having a thorough understanding of our clients, you’ll be well-versed in building successful campaigns that can evolve across a multitude of touch points and consumer channels.
You’ll have the lead role in further developing and driving the agency’s shopper marketing expertise, where you’ll design and implement new services and offerings, efficiencies and ways of working that support creative and fiscal targets.
Providing creative direction to the team and managing our brand guardians, you’ll oversee the delivery of beautifully crafted work that includes big ideas underpinned with strategic thinking. You’ll understand the importance of creating something truly iconic that lives and breathes on all touch points and that can be activated in a way that truly resonates with our clients.
And most importantly you’ll be an exceptional team player, working collaboratively alongside the Executive Creative Director, and senior colleagues in Client Services and Planning, to develop the very best creative work.
What you’ll be doing:
1. Providing creative direction to the highly effective, energetic and hungry creative and design teams moving seamlessly between leadership, coaching and mentoring.
2. Directing the execution of high-value projects, campaigns and work ensuring they deliver exceptional creativity, strategic thinking and commercial acumen.
3. Supporting your senior team members by stepping into client meetings to understand the business strategy, and helping to identify creative opportunities that maximise agency potential, revenue opportunities and wider creative reputation.
4. Leading creative sessions - contributing to kick-off meetings for high-value projects, debriefs and working sessions with internal and client stakeholders.
5. Maintaining close working relationships with Client Services and Planning in order to have a commercial understanding of each project, delivering on the strategic needs of the client.
6. Taking the lead from the ECD, and dependent on the size and services in question, act as a creative lead on new business pitches, helping drive momentum and delivery beyond brief.
7. Keeping up to date on creative trends, technologies and innovations, creating a programme of energising learning events that keep our creative offering relevant and inspiring.
8. Developing new processes and efficiencies that support our platform to create impact, and deliver world-class creative all underpinned by the agency’s strategic intent.
9. Manage direct reports, championing them and delivering a meaningful PDR programme ensuring they have focused objectives. Identify learning/development areas to raise skills.
What you’ll bring to the role:
1. An established Creative Director or Associate Creative Director who has managed large, complex projects
2. Extensive experience working with clients in the drinks sector, delivering multi-channel campaigns across shopper, social, in-store and experiential
3. A book that demonstrates exceptional creativity, intellect and industry-recognised award-winning work
4. Commercially astute ensuring projects are delivered to budget
5. Can articulate with impact and gravitas ideas to all audiences including C-suite
How we reward you:
1. Contributory pension scheme
2. Annual company bonus scheme
3. Private Medical Insurance
4. Life Assurance
5. Continuous learning and development
6. Enhanced parental benefits
Additional benefits:
1. The last Friday of every quarter is a ZEAL Day off
2. Christmas closure
3. Work from home budget to help you achieve your dream set up
4. Dog-friendly offices
5. A wealth of social events from our seasonal gatherings to our quarter review get-togethers
Seniority level
Director
Employment type
Full-time
Job function
Design, Art/Creative, and Advertising
Industries
Advertising Services
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