Rob Morrison is a rarity, a working advertising creative over 50. Like 90% of working creatives over 50, he is a freelance creative director. He has been for the last two and a half years. For the seven years prior to that, he was a creative director at Ogilvy Australia. He has also been a creative director at BWM (now BWM Dentsu), George Patterson Y&R (now VMLY&R), The Campaign Palace and Wunderman.

Like many (admittedly not all) older creatives he carries a briefcase of wisdom and experience with him. He also has a wonderful way with words. Morrison has agreed to share some of all of that on The Stable. This is his first story:

The Old Man Who Can See

“I was talking to my accountant recently.”

Wow, has there ever been an opinion piece with a less exciting first sentence? That’s not a criticism of accountants. It’s just, if you believe the clichés, they’re not great talkers. Let me explain.

I had just gone freelance. The third time in my career but the first time since turning 50. I was talking to my accountant about lowering my rates to compensate for the ageism in Adland. He was gobsmacked. He couldn’t believe experience could ever be a negative.

Sadly, it’s true. Read between the lines in any recruitment post and everyone is looking for:

– A junior/midweight creative

– A fresh mind to deliver fresh thinking.

– A native to Insta-this, Skippable-that and Viral-the-other.

– Over 50s need not apply.

And it’s true. Lately, my CV has been rejected more than at any time in my career. To the point had a potential employer say to my face, “We’re looking for someone more up-and-coming.” So, I found myself removing the dates on my CV. Using 15+ years instead of 23 years. Playing down my level of experience.

I know what you’re thinking, “Another middle-aged white guy crying ‘woe is me’. This has happened for generations. Yawn.”

It’s true, historically, creatives in big agencies rejected anything new. I’ve seen it myself. Direct mail brief? Too grubby. Retail ad? Beneath me. Sales activation? What even is that? Back then if it wasn’t TV, press, radio and outdoor it wasn’t sexy.

But my generation of creatives have never played that game.

Anyone who came up through a direct marketing creative department leaps into new media. We were the ground-breakers on eDM, digital, social, guerrilla, above-below-through-and-behind-the-line. As long as a brief had a target audience, a proposition and a media choice, we were happy. And delivered.

That’s because the most important trait a creative can have is curiosity.

Truth is, while delivery methods may have evolved, human motivations have not. Consumers have things they love. Things they hate. Ambitions they have for themselves and their families. Clients have benefits they want to convey. Product they want to shift. Minds they want to change. Those don’t change with the latest, funkiest, trendiest media choice.

In the next few months I’ll be sharing a different perspective on the world of creative advertising – loosely titled, “The old man who can see”. In the meantime, if you need an emotive-led ideas or executions, consider wisdom of age over-exuberance of youth.

At a minimum it would give my accountant something to talk about.