A creative leader with one of the strongest digital experiences in APAC, R/GA Australia Executive Creative Director, Claire Waring, is fluent in marketing, passionate about digital and focused on delivering impactful creative ideas. She has been executive creative director at R/GA since 2021 and prior to that, executive creative director at Publicis Sapient across Southeast Asia, digital director of Saatchi & Saatchi and creative director of TBWA\Tequila (now Digital Arts Network) in Sydney, as well as a freelance digital creative and strategist throughout APAC and Founder and Director of global, e-commerce craft business, Craft Schmaft.

Claire joins ADFEST’s Digital & Social Lotus, Digital Craft Lotus and Mobile jury this year and is also presenting the session, “Storytelling”. Here, she shares an insight into the work she loves and what she hopes to see in the jury room. 

You have more than a decade of experience in digital advertising (creative and strategy) across the APAC region. What do you think are the greatest drivers of excellence in digital?

Claire Waring: Excellence is woven from three elements: A big, bold idea, insane craft and a great use of medium. Ideas must be at the heart, but the unique opportunity in digital is to leverage technology and platforms in new ways to bring those ideas to life. Moving beyond just telling a story, and towards putting your audience at the centre of the story, to craft around them. That might look like an experience, utility and participation or innovation in film.

There are significant cultural differences across the APAC region. How does this affect the judging room in social?

Claire Waring: I believe those cultural differences is what makes judging in APAC such a rewarding experience, but you could say the same of global judging. In social, the makeup of the jury is so important because we lean on each other to understand the cultural context and nuances of the work.

What do you see as the most important challenges for digital craft? How does craft help digital advertising to work well?

Claire Waring: Digital is broad and the challenges vary depending on the intention of the work, but I would say the balance of form and function is the biggest piece to get right across mobile, social, experience and utility. We look to push boundaries in all creative work, but in doing so we need to be careful that the work still works - that customers understand what's being asked of them and are able to respond and participate. Calls to action, interaction design, motion and personalisation all have a role to play in helping digital advertising. They can be overlooked when rolling campaigns out over multiple mediums, taking the time to craft these elements, as much as we do over-arching messaging, is essential.

Of your work, what are you most proud?

Claire Waring: Work that has impact for both clients and customers is always the pinnacle. I’ve always believed that if we can achieve marketing goals and contribute to society, culture and wellbeing, then it’s the ultimate reward. At R/GA the work we’re doing with Google and A-Leagues is doing just that. Other work where we’ve seen significant impact for clients includes Timberland Timbstrails - an immersive web-based experience for the newer generations immersed in the digital disruption we are facing and Nike For Everybody - a community retail experience that reimagined traditional size 0 mannequins for all body types.

What drew you to R/GA? What do you most value about your current position and work?

Claire Waring: I confess, I’ve had an agency crush on R/GA since Nike fuel band. The energy and vision that the leadership team has for pushing the edges of possibility in everything we do - storytelling beyond broadcast, connecting brand and experience, pushing for a more human future. These things could not be more aligned to my passion for bringing insight, imagination and technology together to connect people with brands.