Uncommon Creative Studio London’s Nils Leonard featured on latest Black T-Shirts Podcast episode
This week’s episode of the Black T-Shirts Podcast features Nils Leonard. Declared ‘the most creative person in advertising globally’ by Business Insider, Leonard co-founded the hottest shop in advertising ‘Uncommon Creative Studio’ in London five years ago.
Leonard joins Brent Smart and Adam Ferrier and wears a Black T-Shirt as he discusses the relationship between personality and creativity. Leonard is an incredibly forceful character, and his approach and demand for creative excellence is unrelenting. If there was ever a podcast on creativity that had to come with a warning, this is it.
Says Ferrier of the interview: “If there was one episode, we’ve done that I really want everyone to listen to, this is it. Nils is determined to both lift the bar of creativity, and simultaneously help others get over it. He’s also happy to give a big ‘fuck you’ to those creatively comfy in undeserving positions of power.”
Black T-Shirts is a podcast that celebrates creativity in the marketing industry with creative leaders from both creative and media agencies, as well as CMO’s. Guests thus far include: Mat Baxter (CEO of Huge), Ben Tollett (ECD of Adam&EveDDB, and co-creator of the John Lewis Christmas ads), Claudine Cheever (VP global marketing Amazon), Allan Johnston (the ‘jo’ in MOJO), Nick Worthington (ECD of The Tuesday Club), Fernando Machado (CMO of Activision) and Bianca Guimaraes (founder and ECD of Mischief).
The podcast is powered by and featured on, the Listnr platform.
9 Comments
I love this podcast. Such great questions and I particularly enjoy when the creatives unpack their creative processes.
My only criticism is the focus group segment. I’ve done a few episodes so far and it’s usually such a downer moment when someone’s brilliant piece of work is just mostly criticised. I don’t know if it’s done on purpose, but the comments are like 90% negative. Is this part really adding any value to the show? I don’t know.
Not being a hater or an ignorant creative, just an opinion I thought I’d share in the hopes that it might make the show better.
I actually quite enjoy the research group segment. It’s a tongue-in-cheek way of showing how research groups aren’t (always) a good barometer of creativity or good work. How even the best ideas and work can be torn to shreds by people being paid to sit in a room for $50 to overthink things and ask unnatural questions of the ideas they’re being presented with. Many of us creatives have seen their ‘babies’ die off the back of these research groups, so it’s comforting to know that some of the most famous and effective pieces of work would have met the same fate. I say keep it.
Yeah ok. I guess I’m just asking how many times we have to hear the same thing that we already know – research groups hate great ads. Doesn’t feel like anything new. But hey, first world problems. Great podcast nonetheless.
Nils is amazing to listen to. I think he doesnt care at all what the group says which is kind of the point. The role of creative spirit vs the opinion of mediocrity.
Agreed, its a great podcast series, but I quite like the focus groups too. I’d go even harder with the focus groups though. Testing ads with a broader, more diverse range of punters, the more random the better.
Totally. Such a great podcast. And such an authentic conversation about a great topic here. It’s awesome. 5 stars.
I also don’t understand the research section. Agencies will all agree it’s crap and clients and research companies will call bullshit on the methodology to your groups. Research companies don’t just walk to a pub and ask randos what they think.
I wouldn’t think too hard about it. it’s fun to hear what the punters say is all. Happy if you disagree.
Thanks for these comments pro or con – really interesting.