Campaign Brief Q&A: Seamus Higgins on what drew him back to R/GA, and other stuff

Bringing over two decades of global experience, R/GA Australia’s newly re-appointed Chief Creative Officer Seamus Higgins sits down with Campaign Brief to talk about his return to Australia, R/GA’s next creative era and what’s first on the agenda…

Campaign Brief: Seamus, you’re back! How did this happen and why was now the right time for a return to Oz?

Seamus Higgins: We had some family stuff going on in the UK that my wife and I decided we had to get back for quickly. We always planned to return after a year, and luckily, we were able to. Funnily enough, returning to R/GA was not part of that plan. I treated my time in the UK as a “leadership sabbatical” and tried to take advantage of the opportunity I had to be selfish about who I worked with. I used it to figure out what I wanted from “the second half’ of my career. Seven months with Uncommon Creative Studio was a massive highlight.

CB: How have the first couple of months been?

SH: “An international move with four kids is awesome!” said nobody. Ever. But apart from the packing/travelling/unpacking hell, things have gone pretty smoothly. Plus, my dogs still recognise me. On a work front, the opportunity to rejoin R/GA with the luxury of being able to focus on one market, partnering with the same brilliant leadership team I kicked off a huge transformation with, has been incredible. Somebody asked me recently how work is going. I said I felt like I was in my dream job. And I meant it.

CB: What’s the first focus on the agenda?

SH: I’m not taking any previous knowledge for granted, so I’ve been on a rediscovery and reconnection mission. R/GA Australia is at a really interesting point in our journey. Four years ago, we re-booted because we had to. That’s not the case today. We’re disrupting ourselves from a position of strength – culturally, growth-wise and awards performance. We’ve grown more confident in who we are and what makes us unique. But we feel like we’re only just getting going. So right now, we’re resetting our creative vision to help us define the next era of R/GA.

CB: What work are you most proud of?

SH: I’m always most proud of the work that feels like we created a positive impact on a human level. So of course, leading the Palau Pledge and bringing it to life with the love and craft that the Palauan’s deserved, has been a career highlight. More recently, at R/GA, I’m incredibly pumped about what we’re doing with We Are Warriors – created in partnership with Yuin rapper and producer, Nooky. This unprecedented platform surfaces and celebrates Blak excellence, to connect Indigenous youth with First Nations role models. Ben Miles, VP ECD of our Brand Design and Consulting practice, has been an absolute force on this project. In fact, the opportunity to partner with Ben again was a huge factor that pulled me back to R/GA.

CB: R/GA had a lot of award success in the past year. What kind of work do you see R/GA doing and being known for in the future?

SH: Fusing creativity and innovation to craft experiences that are actually worthy of the human’s life they intersect with, is an imperative for us. We’re going to be doubling down on this. The place where brands and humans connect is an incredibly exciting frontier. We want to make it amazing for both.

CB: Does R/GA have a style of work?

SH: Because our aim is to always bring something new into the world, I don’t think we have a style of work. But we definitely have a style of working – collaboration. When we are at our best, our work is a fusion of brilliant brand thinking, culture-connected strategy, innovative tech and creative storytelling. We will always aim for impact on a business and human level. We can bring together an incredibly diverse team of people and talents. I’ve never experienced collaboration to this degree in any other agency I’ve worked in.

CB: How will you and Ben Miles (VP, ECD, Brand Design & Consulting) work together?

SH: Ben and I have an incredibly complimentary set of skills, but I think even more importantly, we share the same values. We’re both extremely passionate about the human impact of what we bring into the world. We’re obsessed with doing it right if it’s worth doing. We know that nothing great is easy. We believe that diversity is creativity. We understand the importance of fostering a safe, but challenging culture of creativity. And we like to have fun.

CB: R/GA structure and how you work is a bit different to most agencies, can you talk about that?

SH: We have an excitingly broad spectrum of talents and disciplines in our team, so we’re constantly obsessed with creating a culture of collaboration. We’re always trying to figure out how we can get rid of anything that blocks that. And we do this because we cannot create the type of work we’re all here to make without that. It can’t be solved with process. It has to be through culture. I believe that’s the fundamental difference.

CB: What do you look for in creative talent?

SH: I look for a number of things. Does this person feel different to who we already have in our team? What can they add to our dynamic? Are they passionate about collaboration? Are they a strategic thinker? Are they obsessed with pushing their craft and growing? Does their ambition align with ours? And are they pumped to join us?

CB: It’s a challenging time for brands. How are you going to help them?

SH: Yes, it’s challenging, but creativity x innovation is powerful fuel for brands who want to drive more value, growth and love. We’re going to help them connect more meaningfully with the humans they exist for. That frontier is an incredibly exciting place to be.