Once upon a time, working in the creative department was the coolest job you could aspire to, particularly if you were a middle class white man. However 10 to 15 years ago, advertising lost its mantle to big tech. As bean bags, foosball tables and all you can eat in-house dining lured the next generation of cool young things to the likes of Google and Facebook, some of those who’d already made it in advertising answered the call into the brave new world of the technology platforms.
At yesterday’s This Way Up festival of creativity, four advertising boomerangs, individuals who’d made the turn to tech only to find themselves in 2024 back in the comfortable fold of a creative agency, confessed all to creative recruiter Lea Walker. B&T was there to listen to Dave Bowman, a five-year Googler and now Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Groupe Australia & New Zealand, Tara McKenty, 10-year Googler and now BMF co-ECD, Steve Coll, a four-year Facebook veteran and now Group Chief Creative Officer at M&CSaatchi, and finally Matty Burton a four-year Googler and now group chief creative officer, DDB NZ.
In the world of advertising, where creativity meets commerce, the journey of professionals like the four creatives in question often reflects broader industry trends and the allure of Big Tech. To understand why these individuals left the advertising industry for Big Tech and why they returned, we need to dive into the unique dynamics of these two worlds and the lessons learned from their time in tech.
The Pull of Big Tech
The allure of Big Tech for these creatives was multifaceted. First and foremost, let’s address the elephant in the room: compensation. As they jokingly hinted in the conversation, the pay in Big Tech is often significantly higher than what the advertising world can offer. This financial incentive is hard to ignore, especially for those looking to secure their futures in a volatile industry like advertising, where agency budgets can be slashed overnight.
But it wasn’t just about the money. The draw of working for a tech giant like Google or Facebook is also about scale and impact. In the advertising industry, creatives often operate within the confines of a campaign or brand, but in Big Tech, they have the opportunity to influence products and platforms that touch billions of lives. The scope of influence is vast, and for many, the challenge of solving problems at this scale is irresistible.
Moreover, Big Tech offers a level of resource abundance that is rarely seen in the scrappier world of advertising. The experience of working in an environment where resources are plentiful and innovation is encouraged is intoxicating. Creatives find themselves surrounded by some of the brightest minds in engineering, product design, and data science, which fosters a unique, cross-disciplinary approach to problem-solving. This environment is particularly appealing for those who have spent years in the fast-paced, often under-resourced world of advertising.
The Return to Advertising
However, as appealing as Big Tech might be, these creatives ultimately chose to return to advertising, and the reasons for this decision are just as revealing as their initial departure. One of the most significant factors is the nature of creative work itself. In advertising, there is a tangible, fast-paced cycle of creation, where ideas are rapidly turned into campaigns that can immediately affect a brand’s trajectory. This immediacy and the constant demand for fresh, innovative thinking can be exhilarating for those who thrive on creative energy.
In contrast, Big Tech, despite its resources, often moves at a slower, more methodical pace. Projects can span years, with layers of bureaucracy and iteration that can stifle the spontaneous creativity that many in advertising cherish. The process-driven environment of Big Tech can start to feel less about creativity and more about efficiency and optimization. For many creatives, this shift can lead to a sense of atrophy, as they feel disconnected from the raw, unfiltered creativity that drew them to advertising in the first place.
Moreover, the advertising industry offers a kind of creative camaraderie that is hard to find elsewhere. The collaborative spirit, the shared struggles, and the collective drive to produce something remarkable under tight deadlines create a unique bond among creatives. In Big Tech, where teams can be spread across the globe and the focus is often on product over people, this sense of community can be diluted.
Lessons Learned and Final Reflections
From their time in Big Tech, these creatives have gained invaluable insights—particularly in areas like people management, scalability, and the importance of process. They’ve seen how tech companies build products that are used by billions and have learned the power of data-driven decision-making and user-centric design. However, they’ve also realized that the very factors that make Big Tech successful—its scale, resources, and methodical approach—can also be its creative limitations.
Returning to advertising, these individuals bring with them a renewed appreciation for the fast-paced, risk-taking environment that defines the industry. They’ve learned that while Big Tech offers stability and scale, advertising offers the thrill of rapid innovation and the joy of seeing creative ideas come to life quickly and impactfully. In essence, their journey has been a balancing act between the security and resources of Big Tech and the creative freedom and immediacy of advertising, and their return to the latter speaks volumes about where their true passion lies.
In the world of advertising, where creativity meets commerce, the journey of professionals like the four creatives in question often reflects broader industry trends and the allure of Big Tech. To understand why these individuals left the advertising industry for Big Tech and why they returned, we need to dive into the unique dynamics of these two worlds and the lessons learned from their time in tech.
