Balancing a sassy toddler in one arm and clutching a life-giving cup of coffee in the other, Harriet Russell-Vick dives headfirst into each day as Creative Director at TBWA/LDN. Whether she’s overseeing high-profile campaigns for global brands like Starbucks and Pladis or guiding her creative team through the next big idea, Harriet’s approach is rooted in authenticity, collaboration, and a healthy dose of perspective.
In this candid interview, she shares how motherhood recharged her passion for advertising, the artful influences that shaped her early on, and the invaluable lessons she’s picked up along the way.
Tell us a bit about your role! Is there a “typical” day?
A typical day… Once I’ve got my very sassy toddler across Hackney and into nursery, had my morning coffee (no one can speak to me until I’ve had one), I’m ready to get going. My days now consist of a lot more meetings than they used to, I speak to one of my clients at least once a day – those relationships are really important to me.
Right now, I’m currently CDing work for Starbucks and Pladis (Jaffa Cakes, McVities, Jacobs Crackers etc) as well as taking on a few pure Art Direction briefs of my own. I try and give the creatives as much of my time during the day as they need, so I do a lot of one-on-one catch ups with them.
We’re extremely busy at TBWALDN, so often I find myself popping out to production houses. There’s always lots going on, new challenges but I enjoy it being hectic, that’s where I thrive.
What was the biggest challenge in getting to your current position?
Timing… both inside and outside of work. Having a baby, coming back from maternity leave, finding my feet again and gaining my confidence back.
It’s nothing new that this industry is tough for mums, but I’ve been fortunate enough to have been supported by TBWALDN. Everything that’s got me to where I am today has made me a more rounded Creative Director.
What is your personal background and what role did it play in your career?
My granny was an Artist, and my dad is an Architect, so I’ve grown up around very visual minds. Both my brothers have also gone into the creative space.
I’m also heavily dyslexic so from a very early age I have naturally gravitated towards imagery, photography and art. So, it will come as no surprise that I am an Art Director first and foremost and I’m very proud of that. But all of this has led me to where I am right now.
What is your biggest career-related win? What is your biggest loss?
adidas has played a massive part in my career over the years, I’ve worked on several projects which people have seemed to like, have won some awards and I’ve loved working on it so a win all around.
In this industry we all know and have worked on a brief for months on end, pouring everything you’ve got into it for it to be pulled last minute. It does however give you a thick skin and sometimes greater things come from it. I now don’t believe something is going to happen until I hear the words “ACTION”.
Which individuals and/or agencies do you gain inspiration from? Do you have any heroes in the industry?
Paul Domenet who was my first ECD. He took me under his wing when I was VERY green and showed me how to think differently. He set the standards for me. Then the photographer Martin Parr, I have referenced him more times than I would like to mention – a lot of people at TBWALDN will be rolling their eyes right about now.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Have more fun, chill, we are not saving lives. If I’m honest It took for me to have my little girl to really start enjoying advertising. Not that my advice is to have kids to enjoy the industry! But it’s given me perspective and to see things more holistically.
If you weren’t in your current industry, what would you be doing?
I chose quite a niche subject at Lincoln university in Creative Advertising and even at school where I combined my A-Level media studies and ceramic A-Levels together, so if this didn’t work out, I was going to be pretty stuck.
But I do have a love for interior design, it’s my weekend hobby going furniture shopping, so I would have probably gone down that route. It was always going to be something creative.
What’s your one big dream for the future of the industry?
Our industry needs to continue to gain representation from all people. I hope more and more mums feel they can come back into the ad world and continue to feel fully supported. What you learn whilst being away helps makes for stronger ideas and a more successful working environment.
What are your top tips for aspiring creative professionals?
Don’t give up. Sounds very cliché but it’s the truth. Take the knocks, learn from them and then pick yourself back up and go again and again, it’ll make you bolder and smarter.
What are your top tips for other creative leaders?
Find that unique strength or passion in each person and utilise it to its full potential.
When you think about your team, what is the thing that matters to you the most?
Getting the whole team to see the greatness in the idea. We’re one team and we all need to believe in it and support one another to get it made.
How do you approach collaboration with other creatives or teams and what do you believe makes for successful partnerships?
Listening. Everyone’s ideas and perspectives need and should be heard. I always think the key to any successful partnership is being good mates first and then working from there.
What industry trends do you foresee taking hold in the coming months?
AI is only going to get better and better, but don’t be scared of it, together this could be an incredible thing.
What do you think sets apart truly exceptional creatives from the rest of the pack?
You can see it from a mile off, I think. Someone who has a truly unique point of view. That says things that never even came into your head and that makes you question your own ideas.
How do you think technology has influenced the creative industries and how have you adapted to these changes?
I remember when I first started hovering over a lightbox tracing a typeface, now you write a few words into Midjourney and what’s in your mind comes to life (well sometimes, still a little way to go).
Things have become instant these days. Crafting time has become shorter. I have had to actively learn and stay on top of new technology, I think if you don’t you will get left behind.
How do you prioritise self-care and maintain a healthy work-life balance?
I run, pretty much every day, sometimes short, sometimes shorter. I used to listen to music, but now I listen to podcasts, it helps me zone out and really helps me to de-stress. According to Spotify wrapped ‘24 I listened to Post Malone and the podcast Bad Friends the most.
How do you handle creative blocks or burnout?
Some people go and submerse themself into galleries etc, but I like to step away and mind numb myself is what I call it. Big shout out to my chihuahua called KiKi (after the Scissor Sisters song, if you’re wondering) for all those country dog walks and one-way chats.
Can you describe a moment when you had to think outside the box to overcome a creative challenge?
It was during Covid actually, a new wine (in a can) startup up called HUN were about to launch just as the global pandemic happened. They were going to launch at festivals, have a big influencer packed launch party and go onto supermarket shelves but everything got canned (excuse the pun).
It was officially the worst time to launch a new brand, but we did it anyway with an outdoor campaign for no one to see and then we took photos of it and posted it all over the socials for everybody to see.
Do you have any websites, books or resources you would recommend?
Eyecandy great for visual techniques and GIFS, Flim.ai great for images and again GIFS – I live on these two sites. Then last but by no means least, Jason Bagley’s - The Audacious School of Astonishing Pursuits courses are incredible.
I went on the CD Megamachine course, and it changed the way I CD now. He also does podcasts with industry legends which are a great listen for the tube.
