Chris Lewis
Creative Insights is an AdNews series investigating and uncovering the secrets of the creative side of advertising.
This time it's Snap Inc. ANZ Talent Partnerships Lead Chris Lewis.
How did you fall into the industry? Was it deliberate or a misstep?
It was (and still is) a constant flow of mis-stepping, figuring out the lesson, and then making the next right step.
I have been fortunate to have had many amazing people come into my life across my career who have helped me figure out my next step or given me the confidence to take a leap of faith - one excellent manager in particular who helped me jump from creative sales into creative production and now taking all this experience and moving into leading talent partnerships for Snap, which I will be forever grateful for.
I think it’s so important to cultivate honest, realistic and direct mentors who are in your corner and will call you out when needed - it’s super rare to find these people. It takes effort to build those trust relationships and help them become better managers along the way.
What’s your secret sauce for commercial creativity?
I think the secret sauce is creating the right space for creativity to flourish, being realistic about what makes sense, and letting go of your creative ego to make room for all ideas and opinions.
The project team needs to feel safe sharing their craziest ideas without judgment, which comes from cultivating great working relationships and building each other up.
What’s the biggest hurdle now for creatives?
Managing your internal creative fatigue while navigating the constantly evolving innovation of technology and how to best integrate this into client campaigns. The pressure to think of the next best innovative, creative solution is real.
I think it’s so important to take time to recoup, inspire yourself, focus on your personal life and happiness and ensure your mind is strong and clear so you can do your best creative thinking possible - this will benefit everyone from company to clients and companies with creative teams should enforce this mental clarity break to ensure the best creative output.
Do you wear the black t-shirt uniform or are you a nonconformist?
I am a “do whatever” person.
Can commercial creativity only take place in a room full of people in black T-shirts?
I think it comes down to balancing personalities, opinions, and creative minds. It’s also essential to have people from teams across the business, not just creatives. Sometimes, the best ideas can pop up when you chat with your Mum over coffee or on a morning walk with a mate without a connection to the industry.
What was the latest campaign that you worked on that you really enjoyed?
Working on the McDonald's Big Mac Chant campaign was an epic experience. We integrated some fantastic voice machine learning technology and pushed the boundaries of creative technology on Snap.
The campaign also won a Cannes Lion (humble brag). I've actually also been running our “Snap School” program for Australian creators and Snap Stars, educating them on how to build communities and monetise their creativity on Snapchat, since last year.
I’ve found it so inspiring to connect with creators, who are forging creative careers on their own terms, and it really solidified my passion for working alongside them.
I’m super excited about helping elevate the work of the diverse and amazing creative talents within our local content creator community —so much so that I’m now making it my full-time gig!
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