Commercial Director

a Popular Bunch is a full-service experiential agency based out of Johannesburg South Africa. Known for our innovative approach, we specialise in creating immersive and memorable experiences that blend creativity, technology, and strategic thinking and engaging experiences. We’re a small team of high output and hugely talented creatives, strategists, and event specialists working collaboratively to design and execute cutting-edge campaigns that captivate audiences. With a roster of clients including some of the world's biggest consumer brands, we create & deliver everything from large-scale interactive installations to captivating pop-up activations. With a deep understanding of consumer behavior and a passion for storytelling, we craft bespoke experiences that forge meaningful connections between brands and their target audiences. a Popular Bunch has earned a reputation for our ability to deliver transformative and engaging experiences, making them a go-to agency for brands seeking to create lasting impact in the experiential marketing landscape. Our head office and production warehouses are based in Johannesburg, with operations throughout South Africa.

We are looking for someone who can blend highly strategic understanding and cross-channel ideation, with beautiful and progressive narrative, visual direction, detail-orientated execution, agency leadership, project ownership and hands-on creation. It’s a senior creative leadership role with a focus on best-in-class creative work, leading the team to deliver the very best output, but also playing a role in managing the studio alongside a team of incredible creatives.

**SELECTED CLIENTS**

We’re lucky enough to work with a broad range of inspiring brands in varying sectors including Pernod Ricard, RGBC, Discovery Group, Red Bull, Heineken, Wimpy amongst others.

**CREATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES**

Lead by example and immerse yourself within the client’s business so you can identify, understand and overcome commercial and internal challenges, inspiring and delivering the best and most progressive work possible, whilst still considering the holistic needs of the brand.
- Lead and collaborate with strategy & creative teams to develop considered and effective creative approaches based on current cultural insights and a good understanding of the consumer & brand.
- Be a creative and channel specialist - understand the roles, opportunities and production constraints of different content types across different channels.
- Run projects and pitches with mínimal senior oversight - championing creative direction, intent and creative excellence whilst being aware of commercial pressures including resourcing, budget and profitability.
- Communicate and champion creative thinking and technical execution to clients throughout each project
- Oversee project teams to help them deliver their best work. Know when to step in, know when to step back.
- Own your accounts creatively and commercially, picking up work across the business where needed and be a detail-oriented senior when it comes to approving work.
- Answer briefs with great work as a solo creative, and a great leader. Get hands-on.
- Collaborate with the product leads to push briefs and projects through the agency.
- Understand how to brief craft specialists - designers or directors, for example - to deliver projects against your creative vision.
- Develop relationships and build a climate of trust, openness and respect.
- Possess highly advanced communication skills to effectively present a point of view, using logic, empathy, and fact to craft a compelling narrative.

**MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES**
- Accurately scope projects alongside project managers and producers, taking responsibility for delivering on time and within budget.
- Challenge briefs and strategies where necessary.
- Understand and contribute to the agency’s business objectives, taking responsibility for helping deliver them and progressing the studio and CH.S brand.
- Understand how individual projects fit into wider strategic and business goals for the agency, and how to prioritise workflows accordingly
- Play an active role in helping Project Managers, Producers and Senior Leadership manage clients - balancing creative with production realism to set and manage expectations around projects.
- Be an ambassador for the studio both internally and externally
- Proactively bring solutions to business problems you identify to the senior management teams, and take responsibility for implementing them
- Work with the leadership team to develop, assess and implement initiatives that improve the work and culture of the company.

**REQUIREMENTS & EXPERTISE**
- 5-8 years experience gained within an activations/experiential agency (those with a higher level of experience will also be considered)
- Fluent in English, both written and spoken.
- Extensive experience working at an Associate Creative Director or Creative Director level in a similar agency