How brands can be topical without f*cking it up
Brands are keen to be culturally relevant on social media but it requires a deep understanding of who you are and what interests your audience. CR explores how to get the balance right
Creativity Sucks! podcast looks at how to be a great creative leader
The latest episode of Creative Review’s podcast looks at how to nurture creative teams, with advice from Richard Holman, Rani Patel, and Sarah Watson
Do we need a new way of talking about diversity?
The need for diversity has been adopted wholesale by the ad and design industries. But do we really know what we’re striving for when we talk about increasing opportunity and equality in the workplace?
Confessions of a creative industry coach
Here Richard Holman discusses some of the most common questions, doubts and problems that have come up in his five years as a creative coach, from self-doubt to managing pressure
On the creative benefits of going slow
As Disability Pride Month draws to a close, Deliveroo’s global head of creative Paul Hewitt reflects on losing his mobility in his late 20s and how it taught him to value a slower pace of life and work
How to avoid a branding backlash
If you want a community to buy into a new brand, you need to design with them, not for them, says Melissa Higgs, principal at design studio hcma
What adland can learn from 50 Cent
Stepping outside your cultural comfort zones can be a boon to your creativity says our ad correspondent Ben Kay, who has found himself surprisingly inspired by the teachings of the In da Club rapper
Why every agency needs to talk about mistakes
Errors, cock ups, blunders – we have plenty of words for mistakes but rarely like to admit they happen. Here, agency founder Carsten Glock argues that this is gaffe in itself and instead we should embrace them to create a better work culture
The art of writing a brief
We look into why briefs are so imperative to get right, the difference between advertising and design briefs, and whether visuals have any place in them
How to write a great advertising slogan
Here, our advertising correspondent breaks down the methodology for creating a great slogan, by examining some of the iconic endlines of the past. But is there really a formula for brilliant creative work?
How much do you earn?
Every single person at How&How knows what their colleagues are being paid, from the most junior designer to the studio’s owners. The branding studio’s co-founder Cat How discusses the pros and cons of total salary transparency
A manifesto for building a successful in-house team
There is definitely no one-size-fits-all for in-house teams, but here are some principles for success to draw on, put together by the In-House Agency Leaders Club
Johnny Hardstaff on getting intimate with photography
The director reflects on the connection between his darkly personal photography work and his commercial films, and how the former has enriched his wider practice
Dada Projects founder on the visibility of women in digital design
Founder and creative director Christina Worner talks to CR about the motivations behind setting up the design studio and what she’s doing to creative a supportive environment for anyone who works with them
Why brands can’t be everything everywhere all at once
The purpose of brand strategy is to provide brands with direction and meaning. So why are agencies and marketers so eager to keep brands open-ended?
Fortnum & Mason reveals first ever bespoke typeface family
Two new typefaces promise a more digitally-friendly brand presence, visual cohesion, and legibility
Duolingo on why brands are becoming more human
We speak to Duolingo’s global head of social media Katherine Chan about managing the team behind its lauded social strategy and how people’s perceptions of brands are shifting in the era of individual clout
Teenage kicks: how the David ad network is growing up
We talk to co-founder Fernando Musa about how the network is evolving with age, plus how he balances his unusual dual roles as chairman at David and CEO at Ogilvy Brazil
Libresse ad calls for better period education
The mixed media ad by AMV BBDO illustrates how a lack of knowledge about periods can be a lifelong issue
What can brands learn from Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign?
CR speaks to Teemu Suviala, global chief creative officer at Landor, about how Harris is cutting through the political noise, and what lessons brands can take from her bold approach