A BIT ABOUT US

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 recognising 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.
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.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING:

• On a day-to-day basis, provide creative direction to the highly effective, energetic and hungry creative and design teams moving seamlessly between leadership, coaching and mentoring. Employ active and regular coaching of the senior members of the team, enabling them to develop and deliver exceptional creative, strategic thinking and commercial awareness.
• Have a robust insight of all high value work across multiple work streams and projects, getting under the skin of the client ask. You’ll work at pace to get up to speed quickly, enabling you to make decisions in the moment and providing timely and confident direction and feedback to the team and clients.
• Direct the execution of high value projects, campaigns and work ensuring they deliver exceptional creativity, strategic thinking and commercial acumen. At times supporting your senior team members by stepping into client meetings to understand the business strategy, helping to identify creative opportunities that maximise agency potential, revenue opportunities and wider creative reputation.
• Be an exceptional presenter, confidently leading creative sessions - contribute to kick off meetings for high value projects, debriefs and working sessions with internal and client stakeholders.
• Maintain 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.
• Adopt a regular dialogue with the Creative Services Director and Deputy Creative Director to review resource management with a view to running a highly effective and commercially viable team. Look for innovative means to deliver cost effective creative output.
• Taking the lead from the ECD, and dependent on the size and services in question, act in the role of creative lead on new business pitches, helping to drive momentum and delivery beyond brief.
• Create regular communication channels for the creative and design teams to learn from and share with each other including monthly meetings with your senior members to discuss work being produced.
• Support the ECD on their approach and execution of ZEAL’s creative awards programme, developing a pipeline of solid entries that are honed for success
• For high value projects, facilitate wash-up meetings at the end of the project to review possible efficiencies and if appropriate financial success – all with a view of optimizing performance next time.
• Develop new processes and efficiencies that support our platform to create impact, deliver world-class creative all underpinned by the agency’s strategic intent.
• Work in conjunction with the Client Services team to create case studies of our most iconic work for use across media including website, creds decks, new business opportunities and in creating a bank of assets.
• Manage direct reports, championing them and delivering a meaningful PDR programme ensuring they have focused objectives. Identify learning / development areas to raise skills. Actively nurture a motivated working relationship that fosters trust and empowerment.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING TO THE ROLE:

• 
  
  
  
• An established Creative Director or Associate Creative Director who has managed large, complex projects

• 
  
  
  
• A book that demonstrates exceptional creativity, intellect and industry recognised award winning work

• 
  
  
  
• A strategic thinker when it comes to brands

• 
  
  
  
• Commercially astute ensuring projects are delivered to budget

• 
  
  
  
• Multidisciplinary including consumer and ideally digital

• 
  
  
  
• Can articulate with impact and gravitas ideas to all audiences including c-suite