Alex Kenny is Creative Director at MediaWorks’ in-house creative studio Passionfruit, runs a food Instagram, and is a mother to a two-year-old. We catch up with her to find out how she balances these roles and how they fuel her creative fire.
Having worked in the creative space for many years, how do you stay on top of trends and fads to remain relevant but also authentic and timeless?
Keeping your eyes open to everything and having multiple creative outlets so you can be influenced and open to interchanging platforms and creative treatments.
I have a food Instagram (@will.she.eat.it) and bizarrely it helps me to be creative in my day-to-day, as in order to be different with food, I need to explore unlikely combinations or ingredients to make up a recipe. This teaches me to approach things differently in campaigns too, they all connect, it’s just about finding the right fabrications.
It’s not always about changing trends but about getting to know the company you’re advertising. It’s their story, company and people, that influence how you treat and look at a campaign. A company’s story can hugely influence where we go creatively. People are interesting and people are interested in other people, so how do we capture interest on a campaign level – that’s the real challenge and opportunity.
Being a creative, you are expected to push boundaries. what inspires you here?
All the usual creative avenues but my daughter, who is two-and-a-half years old, sometimes helps me to look at the world and ideas with a different lens. Kids have big imaginations and if I tap into that I sometimes get into a much better creative space.
Having a diverse creative team is crucial. People with conflicting ideas, opinions, ages, and personalities draw out the best ideas in a team. Boundary-pushing ideas come from looking at what everyone else is doing and doing the opposite.
Heading into 2024, what would you say are the trends to look out for?
I’m not a huge fan of ‘trends’, every brand should be their own trend as every brand is and should be different.
Not necessarily a new trend but people still need to see that authenticity with brands. Don’t just go out with a new campaign because you’re bored. Figure out a way to invigorate your brand with a different creative energy. Consistency, bold creativity, authenticity and the right energy will get you cut through.
Quick fire 5
1. Favourite Christmas meal?
My mother’s famous glazed ham paired with a homemade aioli and fresh grown beans from my grandfather’s garden.
2. Your most played song of the year?
Neil Francis – The Music Sounds Better With You.
3. Beach or mountains?
Beach.
4. First thing you are going to do on holiday?
Cold swim with a stiff gin and tonic.
5. Number one thing on your Christmas wishlist?
A new black tee and blazer to add to my collection.
This article was first published in our December/January 2023/2024 issue.
