Catalyst Uprising: Viewing the Process Behind the Images with Rory Troughton

In April 2021, Wunderman Thompson launched the Catalyst Academy to support and develop the next generation of talent. Built to develop future marketers and equip them with the experience and skills to thrive in a competitive industry, the industry-defining programme aims to bring together talent from different backgrounds to build brilliant experiences for consumers.  

This spin-off of the Uprising series will highlight some of the ambitious, creative, collaborative and curious Catalyst Fellows who have now become full-time employees at Wunderman Thompson after their 18-month rotation through the business, as they share how they’re using their skills to inspire change in their new roles.  

This edition is by Rory Troughton, who now works as global data growth manager at Wunderman Thompson, after completing rotations in data transformation, UK new business, commerce, production and global client success. Rory explores his atypical journey into advertising, and how his love of philosophy is encouraging him to keep himself uncomfortable during his career. 

Tell us a little bit of background

I was born and raised in Lewisham, South East London. As a kid I did terribly in school, failing most of my classes and getting into a lot of trouble. In fact, I’m amazed I have become the man I am today. I have ADHD (classic) but I don’t like to blame it for any of my actions. I think school wasn’t the right environment for me at a young age, nor is it for a lot of kids. By the time I left college I still wasn’t any clearer on who I was or what I wanted to be, so I did what all humans in a functioning society do – I went and got a job. For the next couple of years, I worked in various bars and kitchens. Growing ever more unsatisfied with the way my life was panning out, I decided to think about future plans and what career I wanted. Which led me to the advertising industry!

Getting into the industry

It was when I first had the idea of getting into advertising that the wheels of my future began to be set in motion. The only thing is, I didn’t have a degree, I had no work experience, or any experience for that matter, and none of my family worked in the industry! So, I thought I was pretty fucked. That’s when I came across something that would shift my fate ineffably. Brixton Finishing School (set up by Ally Owen) was a ten-week advertising crash course where I would learn all the intricacies of the ad world, in all its glory. It was also where I would meet my mentor, David Adamson (legend) from The&Partnership. Coming out of BFS I was hungry to get into an agency and start working, whatever the role was – I just wanted to get in, carry on learning, and figure out what I was good at.

With the help of my mentor David, I applied for various roles and internships, I was lucky enough to bag a six-month internship with Mail Metro Media where I worked with the analytics team and expanded my understanding of the media landscape. From here, David and I perfected my application for the Catalyst Academy, and I think you can take a stab at how that turned out. Two years later, I am now in a cemented role as a global data growth manager. I owe a great deal of thanks to Victoria France and Richard Mullins who took me under their wing and have been building me as a professional in the data landscape.

The work

The first bit of work I did that I was proud of, and really made me recognise the importance of my role, was an internal marketing push we did for our partnership with Microsoft. It was my job to work with our creative and production teams in Copenhagen to create a short video describing the solutions the partnership offered whilst keeping viewers engaged and immersed… not the easiest task when trying to convey excitement for a first-party solution. The project involved organising high level stakeholders, gathering interviews, running creative sessions, reviewing content, and refining design/animation. In the end, we came out with a super beautiful, concise, exciting video asset - one that even your gran would probably understand!

I find my job interesting as I get a first-hand view of what content goes out that ultimately shapes the world we live in. I am granted the privilege of viewing the process behind the images and ads we see all around us, giving me a deeper understanding of business’ external decisions. 

The state of the industry

When it comes to the advertising industry, I will always have a mixed bag of emotions. I am optimistic about the direction advertising is going in, and I like that ultimately the population will always have a say in what they like and don’t like. I respect how, in many ways, producing a successful advert means you must listen to the wants and desires of the people, which I feel are largely disregarded in many other sectors. It is an industry that is always changing and thrives on new ideas and originality, which makes it an amazing place to work.

While I love the advertising industry, there are parts of it that I despise. I stand very strongly behind the words of Nietzsche: "comfort kills". I recognise the aim and ambition of many brands is to make the life of the ‘consumer’ (a word that irks me) more comfortable. Make decisions for them, order quickly and easily, and leave them satisfied at the press of a button. It is ideologies like this that I believe are creating a wide disconnect from the real world and are leading society down a dark path of being unmotivated, unfulfilled, and deeply lost. FIGHT THE COMFORT!

Passions and Inspirations

Like most 24-year-olds, I spend my weekday afternoons in a gym and my weekends in various clubs and bars - nothing out of the ordinary. I like to read philosophy as an attempt to make sense of our place in the universe. Some of my favourite philosophers are Albert Camus and Fernando Pessoa. I also like to stay up to date with current affairs through mainstream and alternate news sources, I find Russell Brand’s ‘Stay Free’ podcast always has an honest and entertaining take on current events. I also like to listen to ‘The Tim Dillon Show’ for an incredibly funny and bleak take on topical news stories. My main hobby is my cat ‘Sherman’ - I love that guy.