A top Durban advertising agency promotes new a Deputy Creative Director.
Great things are in store for advertising agency, FCB Durban, after the recent promotion of one of its key employees, Declan Sharp, to the coveted role of Deputy Creative Director.
The new position will see Declan taking on more demanding duties including overseeing staff members, reviewing performances and presenting projects to the clients. But for such a creatively-driven individual, Declan is taking it all in his stride.
Creative Director, Brandon Govender, said Declan has been a valued member of the FCB Durban team since he joined.
“He has brought an attention to detail and passion for perfection that has really set the bar incredibly high for those around him. The promotion is not a result of us just growing, but a result of him being instrumental in helping us grow,” said Brandon.
Looking back on his journey so far, Declan said going into the advertising industry had been a “no-brainer”.
“I’ve always been more right-brained and my passion for art and English at school – and dislike of mathematics and the sciences – guided me toward this field.
“I spent a few weeks of my matric holiday at a local ad agency and was inspired by the pace and energy within the office. The creatives were dressed in jeans, had long hair and got to see their work on billboards and in magazines – and they got paid to do this!”
After studying for his Diploma in Visual Communications, specialising in Art Direction, at AAA, Declan took up a position at FCB Cape Town as the junior art director under the mentorship of acclaimed Executive Creative Director, Francois de Villiers.
There he climbed his way up the corporate ladder, proving himself on recognised brands such as Klipdrift, Santam and Momentum, however, he and his wife chose to relocate to KwaZulu-Natal to be closer to family.
“I loved the ethos, and culture of the company and was lucky enough to find a position in Durban alongside copywriter and now creative director, Brandon Govender.”
Although a much smaller company, Declan has valued being more involved in all aspects of the industry, developing his skills and taking on the role as Head of Art Direction in 2013.
The recent growth in FCB has seen them taking on more clients which prompted the hiring of a junior team, which Declan now heads, to assist with the workload.
Some of these clients include Corobrik, Independent Newspapers, Rainbow Chickens, the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Trellidor.
“We’re currently working on a refreshing new campaign for Corobrik because even South Africa’s largest clay brick manufacturer needs to stay current,” said the enthusiastic father-of-two.
“So much of the work is to keep the brand top-of-mind and relevant within the market. Some of our other clients are launching new products and innovations. It’s always exciting to be part of something new!”
Commenting on the growth within the advertising industry, Declan said the move towards digital had had a profound impact on how things are done.
“When I first started out, a digital campaign consisted of a web banner and an email template. Now it’s definitely changed.
“’Digital’ carries a sizeable part of the media nowadays and we’ve had to adapt our thinking from concepts led by traditional media such us TV, print and radio to a more universal approach. But what hasn’t changed is that a good campaign still needs to have a solid concept.”
He said the consumer has become less willing to listen to and interact with brands which means, from a creative perspective, they’ve had to find new ways to communicate with the man on the street.
“Tapping into the emotions and creating more ‘causal’ work is on the rise. Ad campaigns that inspire, unite and get people questioning are ones that are more likely to create conversations within the market,” he explained.
Declan said that, as ‘commercial artists’, a balance had to be met between what they think might be interesting, and what’s actually relevant to a target audience.
“To some, this could be a frustration, but it’s a challenge that those in advertising love to embrace.”
For now however, Declan is inspired about getting to grips with his new role.
“I’m looking forward to the growth in the agency, and with more hands available, we hope to lift the bar even higher, to create work that will entrench our clients as some of South Africa’s favourite and most-loved brands.”