Moving the Needle: Sian Coole

At DDB, our people are the heart and soul to our agency. We believe that the inclusivity of thought and background leads to when we, as a company, are able to be the most authentic and creative. Thus, allowing creativity to be the most powerful force within our business; it has the power to make people laugh, cry, think, alter their behaviour, create change for the world, and impact culture.  

1. Name, Title, Office, Link to LinkedIn Page  

Sian Coole, creative director, DDB San Francisco,

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-cresswell-and-sian-coole-23a4881b/

The unusual thing about my linked in is that I’ve shared it with my creative partner since we left university together 16 years ago. It’s always a conversation starter when people see it. 

2. What is your personal mantra?   

Embrace your decision. I try to live by this, it’s difficult in a creative industry when they’re are so many answers to explore but I honestly think sometimes you have to trust your gut and just bloody go for it. Sadly my mantra goes out the window when someone puts a menu in front of me.

3. How did you wind up in advertising?  

It was a fairly practical decision, I asked myself; how could I be creative but still get paid? I feel like advertising is full of long suffering artists who really wanted to be poets, spoon whittlers or light painters but I think advertising is actually my medium of choice. 

4. What is a piece of creative that you worked on that particularly moved you?  

OK, so I didn’t work on this but it’s fresh on my mind. This week I saw the ‘Oblivia Coalmine’ film for the Telegraph. It literally and immediately moved me to investigate where my pension investments were going. What a fantastic and important piece of creativity. I’m currently working on something I believe is truly important, so maybe ask me this question again next year and I’ll be able to tell you that my own work moved me - and hopefully others.

5. What does your daily routine consist of? 

This year my daily routine has been thrown into turmoil by a tiny human, she is both cruel and captivating. I used to run or surf or cycle before work without fail as it always helped me think better. That’s a little harder now. I’ve got jogging strollers and cycle seats but let me know when someone invents a way to put your baby on a surfboard.

6. When do you feel the most powerful?   

When me and my creative partner, Jo are firing on all cylinders together. We’ve always supported each other, divided and conquered when necessary, one will major in one project whilst the other handles something else. It’s a dance I’m sure a lot of CD teams recognise, but when we hit our stride on the same thing, at the same time, it feels pretty unstoppable.

7. Which of the DDB Four Freedoms is the most important to you and why? 

I think Freedom to Fail holds the most strength for me, I don’t think you get to great creativity without it and it makes the journey a whole lot more fun.  

8. What is one source of creative inspiration you draw from outside of work?  

As a kid I spent early weekend mornings traipsing around car boot sales with my Dad- I appreciate the predominantly American audience reading this probably don’t have the foggiest what that is. It’s basically a garage sale but out of the trunk of your car, anything from 20 to 100 cars would park up in a muddy field to sell and dispose of all sorts of clutter. As you can imagine you never knew what treasure you might find, you just had to be open minded, have a bit of knowledge and recognise a beautiful object when you see it. Antique hunting isn’t exactly a creative discipline but I certainly apply the same approach to my creative work.

9. Who are your creative heroes? 

William De Morgan was a British tile designer prominent in the Arts and Crafts movement in the late 19th Century. His work is synonymous with designer William Morris who is the more famous of the two. I love how their work is both practical and beautiful, it’s what good advertising should be too.

10. Wishes or aspirations for the advertising industry?   

I think advertising is a bit of a dirty word, I would love for that to change. I think that’s happening already because the best work out there does more than sell products, it connects emotionally, answers social problems and business ones too, like the awesome McDrip campaign for example.

11. How are you moving the advertising industry forward?  

Wow, big question. I like to think my optimism about what we do is felt by the people I mentor, I want them to take that with them long after I retire.

12. What has been your most measurable impact?   

The most effective work I’ve done was for John Lewis Insurance which won several creative and effective awards…and my Mum loves it. Less impressive, but still an important measure.

13. Lasting words to leave us with:

Ummm. ‘Just have fun with it’.