Discussing collaborative commercial creativity, behind closed doors

The Executive Creative Summit is designed to foster open dialogue between top creatives who started agencies, run creative departments and manage ‘the business side’ of a creative agency. It’s the industry’s only forum where these leaders can discuss their greatest business challenges in a confidential setting, and serves as a support network for them to exchange ideas and help each other navigate through those challenges.

Meunier and Spengler-Ahrens.

While a world-renowned creative today, Philippe Meunier – CCO and cofounder at the ultra-collaborative Sid Lee collective in Montréal, with offices in Paris, Toronto, New York and Los Angeles – knows all about challenges.

He started the agency with his high school buddy, Jean-François Bouchard, two decades ago, fresh out of school and without a portfolio, clients or even any money.

Meunier will let Summit attendees in on the secrets of running a creative shop. In his talk about the seven sins of a creative agency he’ll get personal by sharing his experiences so attendees can avoid making the same mistakes, while also addressing the most common misconceptions in the industry.

Philippe Meunier.

Then there’s Doerte Spengler-Ahrens, one of Germany’s most awarded creatives and little wonder as she’s part of the rare breed that can do it all – she started her career as an art director then switched to copywriting.

Now presidium member of the Art Director’s Club, board member of the ADC Festival and Congress Hamburg, in her ‘day job’ she is CCO, at Jung von Matt/Saga, and is set to lead a Summit discussion titled ‘Co-creation, content-mania, cost-cutting – closure of creativity’.

The session will encourage ideas around how to save the creative process while ensuring quality and successful results, through the use of new marketing processes and attitudes to influence the cooperation of companies and agencies.

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Here, Meunier and Spengler-Ahrens let us in on the importance of sharing and learning from peers across the globe, as well as what they’re personally looking to get out of the Summit…

Why is it important to attend this type of international creative summit where you can share and learn from peers across the globe?
Meunier: It’s the only place where we can talk behind closed doors and learn from different peers. We talk about challenging topics to grow and make these amazing industries better.

Spengler-Ahrens: All creative agencies face more or less the same problems and challenges, so it is more than helpful to sit together and develop a way out.

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Elaborate please on the confidential/closed-door aspect of the summit and how this frees up the conversation.
Meunier: We are not on a stage showing off our work to look brilliant, we are talking freely without social media, pictures or rude comments. It’s on fair ground.

Spengler-Ahrens: I think the less official the whole event is, the more fruitful the results will be, because people can speak frankly about what they really think.

Let us in on what you'll be discussing in your summit presentation?
Meunier: Yes! I’m talking about the seven sins of a creative agency and sharing my learnings, both good and bad, on how to build a creative culture against the financial culture we live in.

Spengler-Ahrens: I will put a finger in the developing wound that more and more companies think they can be creative themselves, which influences the working process with the agency, most times not in a positive way - especially if they open up in-house agencies.

What makes The One Club for Creativity stands out to you from other platforms that celebrate creativity and effectiveness?
Meunier: They put the hard-creative challenges in the room, so by talking about it we become more effective businesses.

Spengler-Ahrens: The One Club for Creativity is one of the most respected and renowned creativity platforms in the world. A pencil from One Show is a life-long goal for creatives across the globe.

What are you personally looking to get out of the Executive Creative Summit Berlin?
Meunier: I want to know if Europe is feeling the same about the industry as we do here in Canada, and see how they're willing to evolve the model to break boundaries and change the game.

Spengler-Ahrens: I very much hope that this event will inspire us all, that it will give us some fresh thoughts and help us to find new ways to be even more productive.

Increased productivity and inspiration is always a win. Click here for more from Sid Lee, here for more from Jung von Matt, here for more from the One Club, and visit their Twitter feed for the latest updates.