Creative Week Social Contributor: Dave Birss: | London & everywhere outside London
Dave Birss | Founder | Additive | London & everywhere outside London
If Dave was at school these days, he’d probably be diagnosed with dyslexia, ADHD and any number of other disorders that call for Ritalin. In these days in Scotland, he was known as a fidget. He still is. And he wouldn’t have got where he is today without these apparent dysfunctions.
He’s worked in every area of the advertising industry, creating TV ads, radio campaigns, press, posters, direct mail, signage, sales promotions, experiences, digital stuff and plenty of things that defy categorisation.
He’s never quite decided whether he’s an Art Director or a Copywriter, even after 20 years of working in the industry. Which has led him to being both a Head of Art and Head of Copy at different agencies.
He’s picked up a bunch of awards across different disciplines. But he hates the self-congratulatory awards ceremonies.
He’s been Creative Director at a number of agencies, including Poke, McCann Worldgroup and OgilvyOne.
But he doesn’t do that any more.
These days he spends most of his time teaching, inspiring and mentoring agencies, brands and students through his company Additive. He set up the company to try to drag the industry kicking and screaming into the recent past. Hopefully he can move some of them into the present. And a few into the future.
He works with industry bodies in the UK - like the IPA, the MAA and the DBA - to provide education to their members.
He’s recently published the book ‘A User Guide to the Creative Mind’ (which you can get in numerous formats at UserGuideToTheCreativeMind.com).
He hosts the Future of Advertising podcast where he interviews the biggest names in the industry to find out where they think things are going.
He mentors at the wonderful School of Communication Arts.
He’s writing a bunch of other books.
And works on a handful of TV shows.
He lives in London with his amazingly tolerant wife and daughter.
He speaks at events all over the world.
And he’d never have done any of this if he’d been medicated as a child.
