Associate Creative Director
At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse.
Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences. Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work.
The Associate Creative Director (Copy) articulates and oversees the key values underpinning the strategic and creative execution of client accounts. The ACD (copy-based) is professional, a strong communicator, and has a deep understanding of copy trends, marketing principals, cultural issues, technologies and opportunities in integrated communication. Our Associate Creative Directors are collaborative, innovative, and visionary with experience leading teams to the promise land of client-and-agency bliss. This role reports to the Chief Creative Officer.
What you’ll do:
- Take a lead role in managing the agency's relationship with clients, including presenting creative strategies and proposals
- Maintain and elevate creative standards and processes to ensure high-quality outputs
- Come up with bold ideas, innovative campaigns, and interesting executions that challenge the status quo — big, daring concepts are highly valued!
- Experienced in creating work spanning regional and global markets
- Develop compelling narratives for creative work spanning all touchpoints in an integrated marketing campaign
- Guide, support, and motivate the creative team throughout the design and development process, ensuring successful and timely delivery of all projects
- Liaise with Project Management to ensure the appropriate allocation of workload
- Show a strong understanding of marketing principles, cultural insights, emerging technologies, and opportunities within integrated communications
- Experience in the aviation and travel industry is a big plus
- Proactively push for and deliver award-worthy creative work
What you’ll need:
- Minimum 8 years’ experience as a creative professional in multimedia agency, advertising agency with an outstanding portfolio
- Highly knowledgeable in branding and conceptual development for advertising
- Well versed in developing strategically sound and conceptual campaigns across different touchpoints
- Strong communication skills in presenting a vision to clients
- Able to work independently and under pressure across multiple accounts with tight schedule.
- Capable of leading campaign development and being hands-on in executing the work
- Demonstrated ability to lead, convince and inspire in a client-service environment; proven ability to achieve results with major clients and manage team members
- A strategic “out-of-the-box” thinker with a solid creative sense coupled with business acumen and customer focus
At VML, we are committed to fostering an all-inclusive work environment that is both rewarding and career-forward. Our Inclusion, Equity & Belonging initiatives, alongside the VML Foundation, reflect our dedication to giving back and making a positive impact in our communities and beyond. Our people are the heartbeat of our organization—creators, doers, innovators, makers, and thinkers—who drive not just marketing, but meaningful experiences that resonate in every action and interaction.
VML is a WPP Agency. For more information, please visit our website, and follow VML on our social channels via Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
