Larissa Vince of TBWA\London on Giving Ideas Room to Breathe

Plus: Recent work for Marie Curie and Jaffa

Larissa Vince is CEO of TBWA\London. With 20 years of experience, she has run both independent and network agencies. Prior to TBWA, she served as chief executive at the NOW agency. Earlier, she was managing director at Saatchi & Saatchi.

We spent two minutes with Larissa to learn more about her background, her creative inspirations and recent work she’s admired.

Larissa, tell us…

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I grew up in a tiny village outside Guildford, which was very pretty, but a little against my mixed-race family moving in. It left me with a bit of an aversion to Middle England, which is ironic as I now live in Hampton.

How you first realized you were creative.

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t write stories. I always wanted to be a journalist. And I was, for the first 10 years of my career.

Your most important creative inspirations, and some recent stuff you love.

Travel is what I find most inspirational, especially the power and beauty in nature. The wilder it is, the more I love it.

One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on.

Extra Hour for Marie Curie was fun. I had just over a week to approach all the brands and get them to be part of the campaign. It made me realize how important it is to make ideas happen—as well as to have ideas in the first place—and the part that I could play in that.

A recent project you’re proud of.

I love the tone and attitude of our recent work for Jaffa.

Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago.

I’ve always been a Mother fan girl. This isn’t that long ago, but Ikea’s “Silence the Critics” is epic.

Someone else’s work you admired lately.

The Telstra campaign that our Australian office has done with Bear Meets Eagle on Fire is insightful and funny. The craft is genius. 

Your main strength as a creative person.

Knowing that my job is to support the creative people, not be one myself.

Your biggest weakness.

Being extremely short on time can mean I’m too eager to make decisions around the work, rather than giving ideas the time they need to breathe. That said, when you have to make a call, I come in very useful then.

A mentor who helped you navigate the industry.

I can’t call him a mentor, more a partner and friend. But my current CCO, Andy Jex, was the first person in this industry who recognized the potential of what I could bring, believed in me and had my back. That was amazing at a time when I wasn’t sure that an ex-journo had any place in this business. And it’s still amazing now.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising. 

Writing books.