CREATIVE DIRECTOR   

Memac Ogilvy is one of the leading creative networks in MENA with its flagship office in the UAE and a strong local footprint in the GCC and North Africa.

It is part of the formidable worldwide Ogilvy network. It’s the only truly integrated comms network – with Brand & Advertising, a deep PR & Influence, Social Media Performance and Customer Engagement & Digital capability under one P&L and the single leadership of Patou Nuytemans, the CEO of MENA.

Memac Ogilvy is about Making Brands Matter. We deliver on this by combining expert and new capabilities for modern marketing solutions – we are not just a traditional advertising agency anymore – with solid project management expertise for agile and effective delivery through our passionate and committed individuals.

Memac Ogilvy has had a formidable couple of years with proven revenue and profit growth, winning multiple pitches in the region including prestigious assignments such at being appointed as the Global Creative and PR agency for Expo2020 Dubai. The agency is the most awarded Middle Eastern agency in Cannes as well as a big winner at the local award show Lynx. It counts around 600 staff members.

 

what we are looking for

To create great advertising campaigns with combined excellent creative judgement.

- The ability to lead a diverse creative team.

- To delegate responsibility and authority to the Associate Creative Director and Senior Creative teams to run an account on a day-to-day basis - i.e. interacting with other senior agency personnel, representing and selling the Agency’s point of view at client meetings etc…. However he/she will ultimately be responsible for the work.

- Deploying the strengths, weaknesses and contributions of each member of his/her creative team.

- Being open to new ideas including those coming from subordinates.

- To run and manage challenging account/s.

- To set high standards while setting achievable goals for self and team.

- To have excellent and consistent judgement in handling business, client and employees problems.

- To exercise maturity and discretion in dealing with clients.

- To understand fiscal responsibility, and treats client money as his or her own.

- To be consistent – come back with work that is both strategically on target and 

executed with flair and distinction

- To be responsible for proper sourcing of the creative department.

- To keep the Chief Creative Officer informed about issues, new campaigns and alert him/her of potential problems before it gets out of hand.

- Delivers work to brief on time and to quality standards and quantity required

- Able to grasp concept of idea versus execution and understands idea when identified by others

- Can identify idea in own work and explain it clearly.

- Strong listening skills to fully understand the brief.

- Building good relationships with Account Management, Planning & Traffic.

- Able to articulate their own creative ideas to other team members with support from managers.

- Understands and appreciates the nature and value of brands.

- Approaches all activity within the context of 360 Degree Brand Stewardship.

- Acts in the best interest of the brand at all times.

- Ability to apply a natural curiosity to uncover the unexpected around brands.

- Ability to generate lots of fresh, original ideas from a brief.

- Ability to push boundaries of original thinking to explore new creative solutions.

- Beginning to develop a basic knowledge of creative formats

- Ability to align the copy with art direction and vice versa.

- Ability to translate the strategic creative concept into different creative executions.

 

thhe team

The Creative Director will be part of a diverse creative team that is lead by our CCO (Chief Creative Officer)

The work will be deputised and quality control will be assessed by the CCO.

The Creative team embodies our Ogilvy values, giving us the much needed creative boost in what is a competive industry space.

the detaill

Knowledge Areas:

- Provides a clear direction for the team in support of business objectives.

- Gives effective feedback and coaches individuals to develop their own knowledge, skills and behaviour.

- Conducts regular performance and development reviews.

- Effectively manages poor performers.

- Recognises and values great work.

- Helps employees to achieve a balance between work and personal life.

- Effectively organises people and resources e.g. Art Buying to meet project/campaign requirements.

- Able to organise the information given e.g. product information for copy to meet project/campaign requirements.

- Effectively manages multiple project requests.

- Able to understand the strategic thinking that has gone into a brief, debate and contribute to it.

- Able to talk intelligently and confidently as to why creative work is on strategy and debate this with team.

- Ability to sell creative concepts and executions internally and to clients.

- Builds strong relationships with Account Management, Planning & Traffic.

- Presents ideas clearly, succinctly and passionately.

- Ability to deal effectively with clients on a day-to-day level.

- Ability to display meticulously well designed Art Direction.

- Ability to show a range of voice and style in writing.

- Ability to finesse the ideas of junior creative staff.

what you willl bring

Talent Management & Internal Relationships:

- Builds key relationships with Account Management, Planning & Traffic departments.

- Meets regularly with relevant departments to discuss the client's requirements and core messages.

- Portrays a helpful and innovative image for the Creative Department.

Commercial Management:

- Contributes to good financial management of the business, improving profitability and maximising revenue, wherever possible.

- Monitors all billing procedures carried out, alerting management to any likely changes in billing or income and any potential write-offs etc.

Creative Management:

- To think creatively and devise imaginative and intelligent advertisements based on client briefs.

- To push boundaries of original thinking to explore new creative solutions.

- To communicate creative ideas effectively to a wide audience of varying levels of creative knowledge.

- To translate the strategic creative concept into different creative executions to be presented to the client.

- To execute creative ideas to the highest standard involving and communicating with the necessary creative team.

- To modify initial ideas into workable concepts until the client is satisfied.

- To align the copy with art direction and vice versa.

- To deliver work to brief on time and on budget, to the highest quality.