Creative Strategy / Direction
Cultural Relevance — Vol. 03
linkedin.com
We live in a time when AI can execute faster than humans ever could. Images, videos, and even campaigns can be generated in minutes. Tools that once required years of skill are now accessible to anyone. Which raises the question: if the execution is no longer the differentiator, what is?
The answer: vision, taste, and cultural perspective.
A creative director today is less about being the “person with the best ideas” and more about being the curator of meaning. Someone who not only shapes aesthetics but also connects them to the cultural moment. Someone who doesn’t just ask “what looks good?” but rather “what feels right, what resonates, and why does it matter now?”
We’ve already seen this shift happening in culture. Musicians like SZA, appointed as Creative Director of Vans, embody how brands are no longer looking for traditional advertising strategies; they’re looking for voices that carry cultural gravity. When SZA steps into that role, she’s not just sketching logos or signing off on moodboards. She’s lending her worldview, her way of being, her taste. That’s the commodity in 2025
So What Defines a Creative Director in 2025?
In an era where execution is automated and aesthetics are democratized, the creative director becomes:
A lens on culture — able to see shifts before they happen.
A translator of complexity — turning chaos (AI, politics, media noise) into clarity.
A curator of taste — shaping not just visuals, but how people feel about them.
A leader of meaning — guiding teams, brands, and sometimes even nations toward resonance.
in 2025, creativity isn’t about what you make, but about how you see. The future belongs to those who can frame meaning in a world overflowing with execution.
Creative direction isn’t about making things look good. It’s about making them feel right.So what is Creative Direction?It’s not just picking colors or fonts.It’s the guiding vision behind how your brand looks, feels, and speaks across every touchpoint.Design is craft.Creative direction is the compass.It makes sure your logo, website, packaging all... See more
Paul Venuto • feed updates
A good brand strategy should be:
- Rooted in truth: Not invented out of thin air - it elevates something that is true about the business
- Differentiated in the category: It captures a sentiment in the category that no one else already knows
- Emotionally rich: It responds to an emotional opportunity with your audience in an inventive, rich way
Koto • Early-stage branding: driving go-to-market impact
One way to aim high is to try to make something that people will care about in a hundred years. Not because their opinions matter more than your contemporaries', but because something that still seems good in a hundred years is more likely to be genuinely good.
Paul Graham • How to Do Great Work
To systematically build iconic brands, companies must reinvent their marketing function. They must assemble cultural knowledge, rather than knowledge about individual consumers. They must strategize according to cultural branding principles, rather than apply the abstracted and present-tense mind-share model. And they must hire and train cultural... See more
Douglas Holt • Branding as Cultural Activism
Fail How To (Not) Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Or: Why There Is No Audience For What We Make And Why That Truth Will Set Us Free
The text critiques common marketing assumptions, emphasizing that most consumers lack strong relationships with brands and suggesting that marketing efforts should focus on engaging a broader audience rather than nurturing fan loyalty.
LinkSimplest way to cultivate your taste is to pay attention to what you love and hate. Reflect on the 1/10s and the 10/10s, and forget about everything else.
This takes practice. When you begin, you may notice how much your preferences are dictated by how you think you should react. I've been guilty of this many times.... See more
David Perellx.com
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