A. HOOK
CREATIVE DIRECTOR MAKING
DISRUPTIVE BRAND EXPERIENCES
ABOUT
I’m a Creative Director making disruptive brand experiences. For the past nine years, I’ve worked at the conceptual, immersive and technological forefronts of advertising; innovating, challenging expectations, and elevating every idea with distinctive aesthetics. My work spans experiential and OOH, to video games and social, from pitch through to production. At my core, I am a conceptual creative, I love ideas, I love infusing them with cultural references and pushing their boundaries. That’s how I believe work can cut through the noise, and make an impact.
Over the course of my career, I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with inspiring peers on projects for Nike, Adidas, Google, UEFA, BMW, Amazon, Complex Networks, Meta, and TikTok, among others, earning more than 35 awards and accolades along the way.
CREATIVE VISION
The Double Take - In an attention economy a good idea is one that gets a double take, you scroll or walk past it, stop and revisit. For an idea to achieve that it needs to be simple, clear and visually impactful. I aim to stop people in their tracks.
Relevant not Original - Almost all ideas have been done before, which is why relevancy is key. Who are you building for and where you are meeting them is what will make an idea resonant and impactful, find the niche and make something meaningful.
Original Aesthetics - Great work looks good, humans are visual animals. But these days there is an internet echo chamber of design. I believe original aesthetics are found in books, exhibitions, artwork, nature and become original when they speak to that one audience you are trying to reach.
LEADERSHIP VALUES
Support the person not the work - I believe in radically supporting those I manage, if your team feels supported, safe and happy they make better work. I think great work is made in great teams. Build a place that people want to contribute to as part of a protected and nourished team.
Be the Energy - Enthusiasm is a key part of who I am, I think energy is contagious and if you bring it, it can quickly change the dynamic of a team. This extends to uplifting too, it is important to be able to give direct feedback, but to do that you need trust through uplifting with energy everyone around you, so they know it is about improvement not critique.
Direction is key - Everyone wants to be working towards something. I just don’t believe the myth of this ephemeral creativity. This is why direction is key, if you know what you are working towards and why, with clear steps to get there, it gives you a reason to turn up everyday.