This week’s Member Spotlight shines on Thomas van Driel, a trailblazing creative based at Fitzroy in Amsterdam (soon-to-be London) whose journey began as a frank-spoken graphic design intern and has evolved into a chef-inspired approach to ideation.
The son of a paralegal mother and a chocolatier father, Thomas learned early that creativity thrives at the intersection of conversation and craftsmanship, whether he’s obsessively refining a Photoshop detail, eavesdropping on snippets of human insight, or drawing inspiration from culinary legend Massimo Bottura.
Fuelled by unmedicated ADHD and a relentless belief in the power of ‘manmade’ experiences, he measures each project like a dish (balancing necessity with flourish) to cook up work that resonates, captivates, and always carries heart.
How did you first get into the industry?
I started out as a graphic designer intern. I got briefed by an art director and I wasn’t convinced by the idea and told him. He said “you do better then” which I did and they moved me to creative and that showed me the wondrous world of creative thinking.
Where are you based now and who do you work for?
Currently in Amsterdam at Fitzroy but aiming to move to London soon to work there. Right now I'm looking for the perfect agency fit in London aligned with my ambitions and creative philosophy.
What is your personal background and what role did it play in your career?
I am the son of a chatty paralegal mum and a chocolatier dad. Both creative in vastly different ways, and as extroverted as they come.
I’ve always loved dealing and talking to people, from working in hospitality from 14 years old and working at my dad’s chocolate shop. That hospitable attitude towards people is, in my eyes, a great carry-over trait when working in the creative industry, as it is foremost a human business.
If you weren’t in your current industry, what would you be doing?
I’d be a professional chef, hopefully working towards my first Michelin star.
Can you explain your creative process? What makes it unique?
It’s a combination of many different creative processes. I love tech, innovation and anything that has to do with human advancement. Obsessed with facts, tidbits and eavesdropping on people’s conversations.
And I approach my thinking like a chef would approach his dish, what is necessary, what is flourish, what is style, what is delicious, what is trending now, what could be trending. I’d boil it down to tapping into the collective stream of consciousness of multiple different areas of expertise, always looking for stimuli and distractions.
How would you describe your style?
My style is a combination of a relentless obsession with craft, whether it’s traditional, modern, futuristic, handmade or generated. And the belief in making things people can experience, whether it’s through an actual physical experience/activation or something you watch that gives you an emotional reaction.
And since the next revolution in the creative industry is rumoured to be a redefinition of the IRL. I’ve never felt more excited to explore that ‘realm’ more.
Which individuals do you gain inspiration from? Do you have any heroes in the industry?
So many, my foremost inspiration is Massimo Bottura, the Italian chef of Osteria Francescana, a visionary artist whose approach to his artform is nothing short of genius. Taking traditional ideas, reforming them and changing them whilst maintaining the soul of the dishes. I had the distinct honour to meet him and talk to him while enjoying his creations and it’s the only time I’ve ever blushed.
I don’t know if naming names is the right way to go, because as anyone working in the industry knows, it’s never the individual, it’s always the team. I love talking to people who push for change, who challenge belief systems and people who are enthusiastically critical.
Especially now, with the momentous surge of generative AI, the people who dare to be critical in an enthusiastic way. Seeing opportunities but also shortcomings. Those are the people I look up to. The people I like to join, the enthusiasts.
What tips would you give to aspiring creatives looking for work?
Don’t be afraid to stand for something. The most powerful thing in this industry is belief. It’s hope. That’s also the thing that sets us apart from ‘the machines’. We dare to believe in something that would logically fail.
We dare to hope an idea works in a way that might seem crazy. Believe in your ideas. Believe in finding a way and believe in the ability to create. That’ll make other people believe in you. Because trust me, it’s highly infectious.
What tips would you give to other professionals to get more clients?
Don’t be afraid to stand for something. Same here. Find your reasoning, believe in said reasoning. Believe in your why. Clients want to see vision, want to feel like there’s something in the room, in the idea that could work {and then test it to hell most of the time}.
But the era defining pieces of work were all made together with clients who shared the belief. Who saw the vision and adopted it. You can’t have that type of work without finding a way to convince the client that they are part of the team, believing.
Can you share a memorable experience from your career journey that shaped your approach to creativity?
Going to Cannes in my first year of working in advertising, and lurking in the basement. Watching every single case board, every case film and taking my peers to the ones that stood out to discuss formed my approach to advertising. The love for the game starts with loving the game.
Sitting on the ground listening to David Droga (pre-accenture) was an incredible feeling, feeling the electricity of possibility surge through the audience felt like watching the final of a world cup. Buzzing with opportunity. I’ve always held on to that feeling and the belief that someday, I’ll get the chance to do the same.
What kind of tools/kit/software could you not do without?
I mostly love that I don’t have to work with anything related to Microsoft Teams. Other than that I could work with or without any tools. But Photoshop will always remain my number 1.
What’s your secret to staying inspired and motivated?
Unmedicated ADHD. Mostly not kidding. But I am the type that is just endlessly inspired and intrigued about literally everything and anything; Science, gastronomy, astronomy, brief period of Myrmecology (study of ants) and just last night I learned how to ‘technically’ forge titanium damascus.
My future goal is to own a cabinet of curiosities that consist of the weirdest and most interesting trinkets you’ve ever seen. I already own a taxidermied magpie I named Machiavelli so I’m started the collection early.
What’s the work achievement you’re most proud of?
Presenting an idea that was created after we got a brief to make something ‘insane’ ‘cannes-lion winning’ ‘make our lawyers call us’ and getting feedback that it was ‘too crazy’. It never sadly never saw the light of day, but it revolved around a World Wonder. And my God, it would have been glorious.
As someone with experience in the industry, what trends do you foresee shaping the future of creativity?
The rise of ‘manmade’ is duly upon us again. And I hope this will reinvigorate young people’s desire to make and craft things. As a counter-movement against the generative AI trend, we’ll see people appreciating ‘real’ things more.
The novelty of something made by a person adds value to it. But first, we’ll have to figure out a way for humankind to deal with the generative future.
What do you think sets apart truly exceptional creatives from the rest of the pack?
Heart. In all the ways you can interpret that. Caring for the people around you. Caring for the end result. Caring about the craft. If you have heart, you can get everyone to beat to the same beat.
How do you think technology has influenced the creative industries and how have you adapted to these changes?
Oh more than ever, not for the better though in my opinion. Advertising is largely something most people find annoying. But that’s the ads that feel like ads, not the experiences, activations or films that feel like a story. But those ad-ads will become even more abundant and soulless.
The ‘AI-slop’ as it’s been affectionately named recently has not gone unnoticed and we’re seeing a massive backlash to most AI generated ads. But that’s today. In 2 weeks, the tech might be advanced enough to fool even the most weathered digital veterans. I have to believe that you still ‘feel’ it though. And that might be purposely naive but it’s better to believe and be proven wrong than to be bitter and proven right.
What is the one thing that you would change about the industry?
The sentiment around fake and fraudulent cases in the big award festivals. No longer focused on just the idea or the concept. But engineered to be convincing about facts and numbers that are sometimes made up. We need to bring honour back. Most of these cases don’t even need it. But it’s become the standard to compete.
Any websites, books or resources you would recommend?
I love 1+1=3 by Dave Thrott. Such elegant use of just the precise amount of text to tell a story. And having worked together with Frank Anselmo in New York, his contribution to the book Hey Whipple was a joy to read.
One other book that still fascinates me is “The Barbarians, an essay on the mutation of culture by Alessandro Baricco” A great read and a masterful depiction of a deep understanding of human behaviour.
