CB Spotlight on Scott Dettrick: “Both comedy and advertising have the power to change opinions and when you get it right, the payoff is huge”

After taking on the role of national ECD at M&C Saatchi earlier this year, Scott Dettrick has embraced the agency’s collaborative culture, fostering growth within the group. Campaign Brief recently caught up with Dettrick to explore his approach to creative leadership, his advice for AWARD School applicants, and what’s next for M&C Saatchi.

How have you adapted to the culture at M&C Saatchi?

Culture is people, really, and the people here are great. One of our core values is “Be excellent to each other,” and it’s not just a line, you can really feel it at all levels.

How have you worked on fostering growth and development within your creative team since arriving at M&C Saatchi?

As we have a wide range of creative thinkers across the M&C Saatchi group, we’re encouraging more mentorship within our national creative department and more collaboration across the wider group. This is helping us quickly foster new creative skill sets and also gives senior creatives the chance to mentor and lead. There’s a great investment in people at M&C Saatchi, so I’ve embraced that and am helping to build on it any way I can.

Last year you took on the role of AWARD School co-head. After wrapping up your first year, what have been some of the most rewarding moments?

One of the most rewarding moments was definitely seeing all the great work up on the wall at graduation. Writing those briefs is a big responsibility because we know the students will be spending hours dissecting every word. The work they create also becomes their first portfolio, so when we saw the quality of ideas coming in from all over the country, it was a real buzz.

Any advice for people considering applying to AWARD School?

Advertising can seem intimidating from the outside, but AWARD School gives you a solid look behind the curtain. It’s not just about learning unique ways of creative thinking, it’s also about the connections you’ll build with your fellow students, tutors, and recruiters. We host an online pre-application workshop for those who want to know more.

Given your background working across different creative fields, how has your experience in stand-up comedy influenced your approach to creative direction? Are there specific techniques or insights from comedy that you apply in your work?

My time doing stand-up comedy has had a huge influence on how I approach advertising, and vice versa. Both disciplines are usually about finding a relatable truth and delivering it in an effortless way. Whether it’s a bit on stage or an idea, if you’re not tapping into something real, the audience won’t connect with it.

Comedy also teaches you important skills like word economy, the importance of having a unique voice, and that no matter how experienced you are, you’re going to bomb sometimes. But both comedy and advertising have the power to change opinions, and when you get it right, the payoff is huge.

How do you handle creative blocks? Are there specific practices or experiences that help you regain inspiration?

I just look at the world around me really. Art, design, film, comedy, music. I think if you’re only looking at other ads for inspiration, you’ll probably just make more ads. A quick walk around the block often does wonders too.

With six months under your belt, what are your aspirations for the agency moving forward? What goals do you hope to achieve in the coming year?

We’re working on some exciting projects across the business at the moment, and I’m looking forward to leaning into those. The main focus is to help reshape the agency with a future focus alongside Emma and Steve.