Michael Moss

I learned to think long and write short working for multinational agencies like BBDO, Lowe, and Grey. Today, I enjoy working with less traditional agencies and entrepreneurial companies. I like to start with positioning, looking for the point of difference that distinguishes a product or service. Generally, this involves learning as much as possible about a brand, its direct and indirect competitors, and the people who buy it. Before distilling these findings into a hook to hang the copy on. Then I start writing, and I keep writing until it doesn’t read like advertising.

How do you see the digitalization of art? Apart from convenience, which important feature does technology add to your artwork? Which are your favorite technologies to use for work?

Text-to-image generative AI apps are fantastic at whipping up creative concepts with enough finish to rapidly evaluate a concept’s merits. Sora looks amazing and designers I’ve worked with swear by Figma. As a writer, I use ChatGPT, especially for research and rewriting. Asking it to rewrite something you’ve written can reveal some interesting angles.

When creating a brand identity, how important is target audience research?

A lot depends on the industry a brand operates within. As an example, for a fashion brand or a craft brewery, a brand identity could just feel right and not need any formal research. On the other hand, for a professional services firm or a company with more complex product offerings, research could be very useful.

As creative professionals, a large chunk of our process is finding inspiration for our work. How do you come up with new ideas for your projects?

Inspiration is everywhere. Books, movies, art galleries. Even so, nobody really knows where ideas come from. Scientists say they have something to do with neural activation and neural transmitters. Artists say they come from anywhere and everywhere. I say it’s weird how they happen in the shower. Having said all that, in advertising, the best ideas forge a strong link with the product.

How do you balance creativity with the business side of things?

I see creativity as a business advantage, and I like pushing the envelope. However, if you push it to the point where the creative overshadows the product, then you’ve gone too far. I think it’s also important to bear in mind what’s appropriate for different categories. Pushing the envelope for a B2B SaaS brand requires a different calibration than pushing the envelope for an athletic shoe.

What was it like to work with NVIDIA?

I worked on NVIDIA as part of a cross promo with Lenovo. I learned a lot about GPUs!

What is your dream project?

I’d love to work on brand development and an integrated campaign for a savvy fintech brand. I’m fascinated with the way brands like Wise and Wealthsimple are democratizing financial services by simplifying personal finances and educating consumers.

What was your very first Creative job? How have you grown since then?

Before I got into advertising, I worked in wholesale menswear sales. After a while, I got asked to create promotional material like brochures, and without thinking about it much, I started writing copy. Gradually, I realized copywriting was what I wanted to do.

Cats or Dogs? ...or other?

Pigs. As a wise man once said, dogs look up to you, cats look down on you, but pigs treat you as an equal.

Did you always know your creative calling? How did you find your way toward it?

I started in sales and stumbled towards creative. It took me a while to realize that great creative can do a lot more for a brand than a great salesperson.