My Digital Creative Hero is a new series from NDA asking digital creative directors to nominate their own heroes. The series celebrates the heroes that have inspired and supported some of the leading figures who are pushing the boundaries of creativity in digital media and marketing.
Becky McOwen-Banks is Executive Creative Director at VaynerMedia London. The agency’s first Executive Creative Director she joined from FCB Inferno, where she was Creative Director for over five years creating award-winning work for UEFA Women as well as BMW, Nivea, NS&I and The Girl Effect.
Who is your digital creative hero?
A fellow believer in the power of curiosity. Being unafraid to ask difficult questions not only of his teams but also of clients means he can create some amazingly effective and stunningly creative answers. (And he is a genuinely lovely chap to boot!)
What has he done to win hero status in your eyes?
It really is the variety of problems he has put his creative brain to – from working with Google for some pioneering product development to global ecommerce for Gucci to more ’traditional’ comms for other clients.
His work centres around people – which pretty much describes him too.
How has his heroism helped drive creativity in digital?
Being unafraid to tackle big hairy problems that clients have and his inability to see walls between disciplines is something we all need to do more of.
Allowing all of our experience to come together to use creativity for a better outcome is an inspiring banner to hold.
What the biggest challenges in digital creativity we need another hero to solve?
It’s kinda wrapped up in the question – I don’t believe there is a separate space for ‘digital’ creativity.
I think even the traditional agencies have ceased calling departments ‘the digital department’.
Life does not see these differences, so we as leaders need the ability to play everywhere now.
What is your most heroic personal achievement so far in digital creativity?
Well, bearing my answer above in mind it is a campaign that crossed many media lines but used digital as the delivery for the message. My work with the Home Office for anti-FGM and anti-forced marriage had to carry very specific and sensitive messages into the communities.
By creating multiple media and ultimately many variants of the film at small scale and size, allowed these life-changing messages to be shared over messaging apps and so become part of closed conversations.
