In the business of original ideas
Adelle Wapnick is CEO of Lowe & Partners South Africa. She tells that visiting her sister at the dynamic agency where she worked introduced her to the world of advertising
studied English with a view to writing, and once in the industry chose strategy and account management. This led to the starting of my own agency with two partners and finally selling to Lowe & Partners, and now to leading a truly wonderful, talented group of people. I am currently doing my master’s on change at OxfordHEC Paris, which is giving me great insights into the changes we are experiencing in the industry and the world of the clients around us. Have you had times when you have had no ideas at all for a campaign?
It’s very seldom that there are absolutely no ideas. It might be that occasionally the idea doesn’t do justice to the product or brand, and that can be very stressful. Often it isn’t only a product of the agency’s inability to “crack it”, but more the clients’ confusion about exactly what it is that they’re looking for. So in the collaboration of client and agency there lies multiple contributions, but they are inevitably resolved. Can creativity be learnt or is it something you have to be born with?
Historically, creativity has been viewed as a magical force — a gift few possess. We’ve been told since our earliest years that if we can draw or paint or act or write, we are creative. Therefore, we’ve deduced that if we can’t do those things, we aren’t creative.
The lens of this perspective becomes our reasoning and a self-fulfilling prophecy. So when an opportunity arises to apply creativity, we believe we should not engage because we can’t. This is not true.
Roughly defined, creativity is a process of having original ideas that have value, which more often than not comes about through the interaction of different disciplinary ways of seeing things. Creativity cannot be present without a problem to solve, and most people are solving problems in relevant and novel ways every day, so we can deduce that most people are creative. So, yes, it can be learnt by being repeated and practised with purpose and pattern until it becomes fluent. What did you want to be when you were a child?
Growing up I loved movies— I still do. I used to watch all the classics and I always wanted to be an actress. It was only when I realised that most were not superstars but, in fact, waitresses working in fringe theatre that I decided it wasn’t a chance I could take. So I went into advertising, where some would say I have fulfilled my acting ambitions.
Because of the people I work with, no question. I am surrounded by delightful, special individuals who are all highly talented and spirited. The other aspect of my job that is challenging, as well as satisfying, is strategy required for clients. They need us to assist in solving their product or business challenges and being part of that is gratifying. What is difficult about your job?
The people and their special needs as well as the clients’ complexities. It’s both sides of the same coin — both facets can
GO TEAM: Adelle Wapnick’s management style is that of leader-as-coach be rewarding but equally daunting. Leading people to levels of inspiration and supporting clients to achieve their objectives is a constant requirement. What would you do if you could not do this job?
I can’t imagine not having done it. But if I could not, I would teach, mentor or coach others to be the best person that they can be. What qualifications do you have and how do they help you to do your job?
I studied English at the University of the Witwatersrand. I loved my years there, because it was the time of our country’s biggest protests. Running from water cannons and the police, I felt I got a broader education than simply academic. I think my degree helped me to get a foot in the door, but it wasn’t a definitive criterion to get into advertising. I have continued to study throughout my career and that, I believe, is more important to keep growing.