5 minutes with Samira Ansari: “The work will always save you”
Following her keynote at the AWARD Jury President’s Lunch yesterday, Grey US Chief Creative Officer Samira Ansari sits down with Campaign Brief for a quickfire Q&A ahead of tonight’s AWARD Awards, where she takes on the role of 47th AWARD Awards Jury President. The Australian expat returned to Grey after two years as Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy New York, where she helped drive the agency to No. 3 at Cannes Lions 2024 and delivered Coca-Cola’s first Grand Prix in a decade with “Recycle Me”. Her portfolio also includes work for Michelob Ultra, the NBA and Microsoft, including the Sports Emmy-winning “McEnroe vs. McEnroe”.
How has being an Australian-trained creative helped you in your international career?
My five years working in Australia felt like ten years of training anywhere else. I touched every part of the business. I learned strategy, big brand building, and how to be incredibly resourceful. My time in Australia was an accelerant for my career.
Who has influenced you most in your career path to date?
That’s such a hard question. I’ve always deliberately surrounded myself with people who intimidate me, because I like being uncomfortable. That’s when I learn the fastest. It would be unfair to name just a couple of people. There have been so many who have shaped me along the way.
You’ve said “out of chaos, creativity thrives” — what’s the wildest or most chaotic brief that ever led to your best work?
You know, I never wait for a brief. I think our job is to know our clients’ businesses as well as they do, if not better, and always be a step ahead, anticipating what they need and what could grow their business. Michelob ULTRA Courtside is a good example. It was something we created in the middle of the chaos of COVID, and it’s still one of the pieces of work I’m most proud of.
If you could give one piece of advice to a young creative starting out in this industry right now, what would it be?
I always tell young creatives to “go rogue”. Make your own path with the work. The work will always save you. By that I mean, focus relentlessly on making great work. It will get you noticed, open doors and take you places you never expected.
What’s the most underrated skill a creative needs today that nobody talks about enough?
Creatives need to have a seat at the business table. We should be able to talk not only about the creative idea, but about the business implications of the work we produce. We are problem solvers at heart. And we are obsessive about it.
Finish this sentence: the best creative work happens when…
It consumes your every thought.
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