Diversity ‘best way to uncover great ideas,’ says Debbi Vandeven, second-most awarded CCO in world

In 1987, she obtained a scholarship to the College of Kansas to review superb arts, the place, obsessive about design, the younger Vandeven loved courses in illustration, graphics and visible communication. Figuring out that enterprise acumen could be simply as essential as artistic nous, she adopted this up with the advertising and promoting course at Webster College in 1996.

The artwork of enterprise

“In case you’re going to work in promoting, you’re not simply an artist that’s engaged on artwork,” she says. “The understanding of the enterprise is extraordinarily essential.”

She began at VML in 2000 on the Missouri store, which, at the moment, had round 130 staff. (Vandeven reckons she was the a hundred and thirtieth particular person they employed). The primary account she labored on on the company was Colgate-Palmolive. “Consider it or not,” she provides. “It’s nonetheless one in every of our largest accounts all these years later!”

Throughout these preliminary years on the store, Vandeven remembers that they didn’t have laptops, solely Mac towers, so that you have been tied to the workplace all the time, however the environment was “so enjoyable,” she provides.

Bringing her youngsters to work

Over the following 5 years, she had her kids. “They actually grew up within the enterprise as a result of I must work. They’d be right here on weekends. You simply obtained used to it. As a mum or dad, you herald stuff to your youngsters to play with or have them watch TV whilst you’re engaged on work. It’s such a special approach to consider life.”

To today, the VML workplace in Kansas Metropolis continues to be in the identical location, which is on the location of an outdated, however nonetheless in use, airport. The runways are proper behind the company’s home windows, which Vandeven says is fairly thrilling as lots of celebrities, bands and sports activities groups with non-public planes use it.

‘I had a desk in a hallway’

“At first, I had a desk that I swear was in a hallway,” she laughs. “I might be working and folks would come up behind me as I used to be designing one thing and go, ‘Oh, I feel I like that one.’ Everybody needed to touch upon the work as they walked by.”

Now, 25 years later and he or she is VML’s world chief artistic officer, main groups world wide and wracking up numerous business awards. In The Drum’s World Creative Rankings, we have revealed that she is the second-most awarded chief creative officer in the world.

“I’m honored,” she mentioned of the accolade. “However principally, it makes me really feel grateful to have such a tremendous artistic crew and courageous purchasers working with me daily. I may by no means have achieved the sort of recognition with out their partnership and need to relentlessly pursue large, human-first concepts.”

‘It’s all the time great to see extra ladies attaining success’

For the third 12 months in a row, ladies have topped the record, with Vandeven repeatedly battling it out with Ogilvy’s Liz Taylor for the highest spot (Taylor nudged in entrance this 12 months). This will point out a optimistic shift for the promoting business, which is full to the brim with male creatives, however there’s nonetheless an extended approach to go in attaining the extent of variety that’s wanted.

“It’s all the time great to see extra ladies attaining success in our business and I hope we will proceed to affect a extra various group of artistic leaders sooner or later,” explains Vandeven. “Having each method of variety of pondering on the desk is extraordinarily essential if you’re attempting to unravel complicated issues. That approach, everyone seems to be approaching it from their distinctive perspective – and that’s one of the best ways to uncover these nice concepts.”

Vandeven’s favourite initiatives over the 12 months embody Wendy’s ‘Fortnight’ as a result of it allowed her to do work “that challenged class definitions and solid a brand new path” and, in typical Wendy’s trend, it “didn’t behave like a model, however extra like an individual on the platform.”

In the meantime, ‘I Will At all times Be Me’ for Intel/Dell is one other standout. “It’s so great when you possibly can work with main manufacturers to uncover distinctive methods to really put folks on the heart of the answer and enhance their lives,” she explains.

‘An setting of belief’

Not desirous to take an excessive amount of credit score, the artistic chief retains coming again to the purpose that making award-winning work is all about constructing an ideal crew round you. “One which trusts and helps one another – from technique to artistic to enterprise companions,” she continues. “It’s solely in an setting of belief and assist that you simply’re capable of create the easiest work.”