Creative Director - Art Director

Publicis Groupe · Johannesburg

Company description

Publicis Groupe Africa is a leading marketing, communications, and business transformation network operating across 36 African countries, combining creativity, technology, and local insight to deliver integrated client solutions.

Publicis Groupe Africa is part of Publicis Groupe, the second-largest communications group globally, founded in 1926. The African network operates as a partnership of 44 communications agencies with offices spanning 36 countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, and many others

Its headquarters are in Johannesburg and Cape Town, providing a central hub for continental operations.

Telecommunications is one of the most dynamic categories in the market that sits at the intersection of technology, culture, connectivity, customer experience and everyday life. This role offers the opportunity to work with a leading telecommunications client and help shape the next generation of its agency partnership.

We are building a connected, future-fit model that brings together creativity, intelligence, data, technology, AI and world-class execution around the customer. It is an opportunity for ambitious creative talent to influence the work, the ways of working and the capabilities we build — creating a partnership designed not only for today's challenges, but for what comes next.

Overview

The Creative Director — Art Director is a senior creative leader responsible for translating the creative ambition of the Publicis/client partnership into distinctive, effective and beautifully crafted work.

The role leads concept development and visual direction across major briefs, campaigns, platforms and experiences, while guiding and mentoring multi-disciplinary creative teams.

A critical part of the mandate is to combine world-class art direction and design craft with digital-first thinking, culture, technology, AI and new production models, ensuring ideas are conceived to work coherently across channels from the outset.

The role is accountable for strong conceptual thinking, visual excellence, integrated execution, creative team leadership and client confidence.

Responsibilities

CREATIVE LEADERSHIP & DIRECTION

Help set and uphold the creative standard for the client/Publicis partnership, working closely with the Executive Creative Director.
Lead concept development and visual direction across major integrated campaigns, brand platforms, digital experiences and content ecosystems.
Provide clear, constructive direction to creative teams and protect the core idea through development, production, adaptation and rollout.
Lead brainstorms and creative workshops, creating the conditions for ambitious ideas to be challenged, improved and delivered.
Remain deeply connected to South African culture, visual language, media behaviour and global creative trends.

SENIOR CLIENT & BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP

Build trusted creative relationships with client stakeholders and confidently present creative thinking with clear rationale.
Understand the client's business, brand, customers and growth priorities sufficiently to interrogate briefs and identify creative opportunities.
Balance creative ambition with business relevance, feasibility, timing and effectiveness.
Respond constructively to client feedback while protecting the integrity and quality of the creative product.

CREATIVE PRODUCT EXCELLENCE

Drive platform-neutral conceptual thinking with a strong weighting toward visual craft and digital execution.
Define and oversee the visual language, design system and aesthetic direction of campaigns and experiences.
Ensure every major piece of work has a clear idea, strong strategic foundation and appropriate level of craft.
Oversee art direction across design, film, social, digital, content, experience, retail and emerging formats.
Create and mock up compelling creative ideas that help teams and clients see the potential of the work.
Use audience, performance and cultural learning to strengthen future creative output.

INTEGRATION & POWER OF ONE CREATIVE LEADERSHIP

Work seamlessly with Strategy, Copy, Media, Data, Technology, Experience, Production, PR and Activation to create genuinely integrated solutions.
Ensure integrated thinking happens at the start of the process rather than being assembled after ideas are developed.
Create ideas across multiple channels while making best use of each platform's role and behaviour.
Help remove discipline and agency silos that limit the quality or effectiveness of the work.

AI, TECHNOLOGY & FUTURE-FIT CREATIVITY

Champion responsible use of AI in ideation, visual exploration, prototyping, production and optimisation.
Use emerging tools to increase creative exploration, speed and production efficiency without compromising originality or craft.
Maintain practical fluency in relevant design, prototyping, generative AI and emerging creative technologies.
Partner with Strategy, Data, Technology and Production to explore new possibilities in dynamic content, personalisation and connected experiences.
Maintain appropriate standards around brand safety, intellectual property, governance and human oversight.

Qualifications

Must have 10+ years’ experience
Highly conceptual individual (Must demonstrate with at least 5 projects)
Demonstrate exceptional strategic thinking (Provide 3 examples)
Must have led the conceptualisation and execution of TTL campaigns and pure digital campaigns (Show minimum of 4 examples)
Must demonstrate an understanding of digital platforms
Track record of winning international and local awards i.e. Cannes, One Show, Loeries, Clios, Bookmarks etc.
Show at least 1 international and 1 local gold medals
Demonstrate how you’ve previously dealt with conflict
In-depth working knowledge of existing and emerging technologies & platforms (advantageous)
Be comfortable with AI being a part of the everyday activities of the role.

BUSINESS KPI’S

Must demonstrate examples of leadership skills & problem solving
A strong understanding of best practice interaction and visual design principles
Must be able to oversee 7-8 projects
Have the ability to attend every review on a project with 3 new ideas
Oversee projects and manage and grow the team through the process

THE PERSON

Good understanding of influencer, Mobile, Podcast, digital, social, out-of-home, guerrilla, activations and direct marketing
Great time management
Demonstrate ability to work under immense pressure & meet tight deadlines
Adept problem-solving skills
Strong communication skills with ability to provide rationales for creative choices made
Strong presentation skills
Able to work with team members & delegate effectively
Understand the client’s business requirements, and understand how our services should be applied to solve business problems
Sell an idea or campaign internally and externally

WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF THESE TOOLS

Illustrator
Photoshop
InDesign
After Effects (Advantageous)
Figma
Keynote / PowerPoint
ChatGPT, Claude AI, Midjourney and similar generative AI tools
Google Web Designer & DV360 (Advantageous)
Facebook Creative Hub (Advantageous)
3D Animation & Production (Advantageous)

Additional information

Publicis Groupe Africa is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits any forms of Discrimination or Harassment. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our employees in line with our Employment Equity Plan.

All appointments will be based on qualifications, experience and best fit but preference will be given to candidates from designated groups. Interested candidates must please submit a concise CV including a link to your portfolio if necessary. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Should you not hear from us within 2 weeks after submitting your application, please consider your application as unsuccessful.