[PODCAST] We talk about creativity with Julien Le Bas, creative director at Jack Morton

Strategy defines the path, creativity sets the goal

Julien highlights the role of the strategist as a key part of creative work in events. It is not a matter of simply planning as in a traditional agency, but of absorbing everything that defines the brand, analyzing the context and finding a surprising angle that allows the communication to be effective. The strategist condenses this vision into a one-page document (the brief). From there, the creative director is in charge of conceptualizing the main idea, which, according to Julien, can often be expressed in a single sentence.

Also, in the event industry, creativity leads and should not be compromised from the outset. However, the creative director must have their feet on the ground and understand production, budgets and timelines from the start. Here, design acts as a bridge. The design process goes deep to connect a purely intellectual idea with material reality, unifying the creative vision with the production team.

Experiential marketing goes further than traditional advertising.

When analyzing the fundamental differences between the creative processes of experiential marketing and creativity, a point of discordance between space and time is established. Unlike conventional advertising (which seeks a massive reach in various channels), events focus on how to intensify the experience at a specific time and place, and then extend its impact from there.

Another difference lies in the multisensory involvement. Experiences engage the audience through a direct relationship between the people, the space and the brand, stimulating much more than just sight or sound. This brings us to the third, and probably the main, difference in events – making something extraordinary happen physically creates tremendous impact. The production and technical feat becomes an intrinsic part of the creativity.

Creativity is a community and multidisciplinary effort.

One benefit of working in ambitious environments is not to be self-limiting by the tools available, as there will always be an expert on the global team capable of deciphering how to execute a crazy idea. Some of the best creative ideas come from conversations with producers, technicians or logistics experts who come up with innovations or new ways to solve a problem. For an event to be successful, it’s key to spread the passion by sharing the vision with every worker on the ground (from the lighting technicians to the clean-up crew) so that they take pride in the project.

Time management and different creative profiles

Having too little time prevents you from reflecting and finding the right path to the idea. However, having too much time tends to encourage procrastination. Julen points out that the ideal is to have just the right amount of time, although in this industry it is customary to work to tight deadlines. Successful creative directors come from very different backgrounds (film, architecture, video games or literature). What they all have in common is that they must be excellent storytellers who connect with the audience.

Authenticity and Intention on the fly

The ultimate goal of an event should be to connect with the specific culture of the target audience to make them feel like they are part of something bigger. Especially younger generations (such as Gen Z or Gen Alpha) are very quick to spot what is fake. Therefore, honesty, transparency and a clear “intent” on the part of the brand, often validated by content creators or influencers rather than traditional advertising itself, are crucial to the success of the experience.