The Creative Floor Awards

🚨 90 countries 🌍 80,000+ listeners
That’s the audience tuning in to this seasons The Creative Floor Awards Podcast (so far). We’re opening up a limited mini-series focused on the stories behind this year’s Final Call submissions (Deadline: 01 May).
This is an opportunity to go beyond the entry itself and share the thinking, challenges, and ideas that brought the work to life.

👉 Get your work seen, heard, and talked about globally
 👉 Tell the story that doesn’t make it into the case study
 👉 Put your team and your client in the spotlight

⏳ Recording slots are limited and filling up quickly.

If you’d like to be part of the series, get in touch today:

📩 [email protected]
Not all awards are created equal. 

🏆 The Creative Floor Awards – WE HAVE ISSUED A FINAL CALL: FRIDAY 01 MAY📅
No more extensions (no really): https://thecreativefloor.com/ 
Best of luck to everyone finalising their entries, and thank you for supporting work that changes careers and lives through our Talent & Diversity Fund.

 📢 Hiring or promoting something useful? This podcast is listened to over 54 countries and is the World’s No.1 Marketing Podcast. Chances your next hire is listening. 📩 Contact: [email protected]

💡 Mentorship
The Creative Floor Awards Mentorship program offers discreet, expert support for creatives at every level. Turbo-Boost your career today: https://thecreativefloor.com/mentorship

📘 Agency Tales: The Book
Available here: https://thecreativefloor.com/agency-tales

📚 Brand New Masterclass: https://thecreativefloor.com/masterclass

🎙️ Episode 100: “I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees. Part 3”

Adland heavyweight Nick Bell is back and pulling no punches. In Part 3, the 3 Chillies co-founder takes us inside his time at JWT, sharing what it really takes to survive and succeed in one of the toughest industries out there.

From global brands like HSBC, Smirnoff and P&G to the stories you were never meant to hear, Bell opens up on the wins, the losses, the risks and the relationships that shaped, and sometimes nearly derailed, his career.

Along the way, some of the biggest names in advertising come into play, including: Sir Martin Sorrell, Tom Carty, Jeremy Bullmore, Rory Sutherland, Neil French and Sir John Hegarty.

In this episode:

Expect sharp insights, strong opinions and a few hair-raising moments.

⚠️ Warning: straight-talking, strong language, and a few truths that don’t pull any punches

Not all awards are created equal. 

🏆 The Creative Floor Awards – FINAL ENTRY DEADLINE THIS FRIDAY!!!!, 10 April
📅 Full dates and entry details: https://thecreativefloor.com/ 
Best of luck to everyone entering, and thank you for supporting work that changes careers and lives through our Talent & Diversity Fund.

🗳️ New for 2026: Public Vote Categories
Anyone can judge. Literally anyone. The real question is whether our award-winning jury knows better than the internet. We’re about to find out.

📩 Contact: [email protected]
📢 Hiring or promoting something useful? Open roles, services, or opportunities are welcome. Same email. Same ears.

💡 Mentorship
The Creative Floor Awards Mentorship program offers discreet, expert support for creatives at every level, from Junior Creatives to Chief Creative Officers (and everyone in between). Ask the questions you can't always say out loud, with guidance by email or video, when you need it: https://thecreativefloor.com/mentorship
📘 Agency Tales: The Book
Available here: https://thecreativefloor.com/agency-tales 

📚 Brand New Masterclass: ‘The Common Sense Guide to Advertising’ by Steve Hudson Founder of The Power of Advertising. To book an in-person/virtual session or pre-order the online film visit: https://thecreativefloor.com/masterclass

🎙️ This Episode: “I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees. Part 2 ”

The conversation continues with Nick Bell (Co-Founder, 3 Chillies) as we dive deeper into the career that helped shape some of advertising’s most iconic work.

🌍 Big Brands, Bigger Stories
From McDonald’s 🍔 and Mercedes 🚗 to Cadbury 🍫 and P&G 🧼, Nick shares the stories behind global campaigns, from headline-grabbing hits to the projects you have never heard about.

🎬 The People Behind the Work
Featuring industry figures like Paul Silburn, Vince Squibb, Guy Moore, Charles Ing, Tony Cox, Mark Tutssel, Nick Kidney, Kevin Stark, and Sir Frank Lowe, this episode explores the relationships that shape careers and creativity.

💡 Inside Iconic Moments
Go behind the scenes of:

🚀 What You’ll Learn

💬 Raw. Honest. Unfiltered. This episode does not hold back. Expect candid insights, strong opinions, and stories rarely shared publicly.

👉 Tune in for Part 2 now.

⚠️ Warning: straight-talking, strong language, and a few truths that don’t pull any punches

Not all awards are created equal. 

Third Entry Deadline is this Friday 03 April: https://thecreativefloor.com/ 

🎙️ Episode: Talent & Diversity Fund Winners

Most award shows hand out trophies. The Creative Floor Awards hands out opportunity. In this episode, we hear from this year’s Talent and Diversity Fund winners: Key4Life, Ideas Foundation and Brixton Finishing School. Three organisations opening real doors into the creative industry for people who might never get the chance.
The fund has now raised over £220,000 and supported more than 600 people into careers in health and wellness communications. If you care about where the future of creativity comes from, this one matters.

📚 To find out more about this years Winners: 

Key4Life: https://key4life.org.uk/

Brixton Finishing School: https://brixtonfinishingschool.org/

Ideas Foundation: https://www.ideasfoundation.org.uk/

🏆 The Creative Floor Awards – Third Deadline (THIS FRIDAY): 03 April
📅 Full dates and entry details: https://thecreativefloor.com/ 
Best of luck to everyone entering, and thank you for supporting work that changes careers and lives through our Talent & Diversity Fund.

🗳️ New for 2026: Public Vote Categories
Anyone can judge. Literally anyone. The real question is whether our award-winning jury knows better than the internet. We’re about to find out. 📩 Contact: [email protected]
📢 Hiring or promoting something useful? Open roles, services, or opportunities are welcome. Same email. Same ears.
💡 Mentorship
The Creative Floor Awards Mentorship program offers discreet, expert support for creatives at every level, from Junior Creatives to Chief Creative Officers (and everyone in between). Ask the questions you can't always say out loud, with guidance by email or video, when you need it: https://thecreativefloor.com/mentorship

📘 Agency Tales: The Book
Available here: https://thecreativefloor.com/agency-tales
WIN a limited edition signed screen print of the book cover with every purchase. 🎁 Details: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUshGDSjNNh/?

📚 Brand New Masterclass: ‘The Common Sense Guide to Advertising’ by Steve Hudson Founder of The Power of Advertising. To book an in-person/virtual session or pre-order the online film visit: https://thecreativefloor.com/masterclass

🎙️ Episode 100: “I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees.”

We made it to 100. And to mark it, we went big. This episode features Nick Bell, co-founder of 3 Chillies and one of the true greats of the advertising industry. What followed was a six-hour, unfiltered conversation. So we’ve split it into a special four-part series, released weekly.
If you know the industry, you know Nick. If you don’t, you’re about to. From AMV BBDO to Leo Burnett, JWT, DDB Worldwide and Fallon, his career has shaped some of the most influential creative work in the industry.
Part 1 goes right back to the beginning. His upbringing, breaking into advertising, and the early years at AMV that helped shape everything that followed. Along the way, Nick shares lessons and stories from some of the industry’s most influential figures, including David Abbott, Dave Trott, Greg Martin, Patrick Collister, John Horton, and Richard Foster, as well as insights from Tom Carty and Walter Campbell, the iconic team behind Guinness “Surfer”.

💡 Expect:

This is not a corporate highlights reel. It’s a deep dive into the mindset behind a lifetime in creativity.

If you’re in the industry, this one’s worth your time.

⚠️ Warning: straight-talking, strong language, and a few truths that don’t pull any punches

Not all awards are created equal.

🏆 The Creative Floor Awards – Third Deadline Friday: 03 April
📅 Full dates and entry details: https://thecreativefloor.com/ 
Best of luck to everyone entering, and thank you for supporting work that changes careers and lives through our Talent & Diversity Fund.

🗳️ New for 2026: Public Vote Categories
Anyone can judge. Literally anyone. The real question is whether our award-winning jury knows better than the internet. We’re about to find out.

📩 Contact: [email protected]
📢 Hiring or promoting something useful? Open roles, services, or opportunities are welcome. Same email. Same ears.

💡 Mentorship
The Creative Floor Awards Mentorship program offers discreet, expert support for creatives at every level, from Junior Creatives to Chief Creative Officers (and everyone in between). Ask the questions you can't always say out loud, with guidance by email or video, when you need it: https://thecreativefloor.com/mentorship

📘 Agency Tales: The Book
Available here: https://thecreativefloor.com/agency-tales 

WIN a limited edition signed screen print of the book cover with every purchase. 🎁 Details: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUshGDSjNNh/?

📚 Brand New Masterclass: ‘The Common Sense Guide to Advertising’ by Steve Hudson Founder of The Power of Advertising. To book an in-person/virtual session or pre-order the online film visit: https://thecreativefloor.com/masterclass

🎙️ This Episode: Dear Deidre 2026, Part 2

Our Deidre’s are back. This time, they are asked the questions no one wants to answer.
Featuring:
👩‍💼 Raakhee Thompson – Executive Client Director at The Bloc
🧠 Kieran Delaney – Executive Creative Director at Cherry Thinking
🎨 Paul Foster – Co-Founder and Executive Creative Director at Atomic Matter

This episode delivers straight-talking answers, practical advice, and a few uncomfortable truths along the way. As with Part 1, the discussion is driven by anonymous questions submitted by the industry, the kind people usually keep to themselves or save for a post-work rant.
💡 Topics include:

Expect a sharp, relatable conversation that pulls back the curtain on agency life today. Strong opinions, practical takeaways, and moments that get a little too real await.

⚠️ Warning: Contains strong language, raw opinions, and things you probably shouldn’t say out loud near HR 😬😬

Not all awards are created equal. 

🏆 The Creative Floor Awards – Second Deadline This Friday: 20 March
📅 Full dates and entry details: https://thecreativefloor.com/ 
Best of luck to everyone entering, and thank you for supporting work that changes careers and lives through our Talent & Diversity Fund.

🗳️ New for 2026: Public Vote Categories
Anyone can judge. Literally anyone. The real question is whether our award-winning jury knows better than the internet. We’re about to find out.

📩 Contact: [email protected]
📢 Hiring or promoting something useful? Open roles, services, or opportunities are welcome. Same email. Same ears.

💡 Mentorship
The Creative Floor Awards Mentorship program offers discreet, expert support for creatives at every level, from Junior Creatives to Chief Creative Officers (and everyone in between). Get support by email or video, when you need it: https://thecreativefloor.com/mentorship

📘 Agency Tales: The Book
Available here: https://thecreativefloor.com/agency-tales 

WIN a limited edition signed screen print of the book cover with every purchase. 🎁 Details: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUshGDSjNNh/?

📚 Brand New Masterclass: ‘The Common Sense Guide to Advertising’ by Steve Hudson Founder of The Power of Advertising. To book an in-person/virtual session or pre-order the online film visit: https://thecreativefloor.com/masterclass

🎙️ This Episode: Dear Deidre 2026, Part 1

What happens when you ask the advertising industry to anonymously confess their biggest career problems… and then put three senior agency leaders on the spot to answer them? 😬

To celebrate our brand new mentorship platform, we’re back in London with a brutally honest live panel tackling the real issues people in agencies are facing right now.

Joining the hot seat:

👩‍💼 Raakhee Thompson — Executive Client Director, The Bloc
🎨 Jon Chapman — Executive Creative Director, BBH
🧠 Kieran Delaney — Executive Creative Director, Cherry Thinking

Before the recording we asked the industry a simple question on social: what’s the hardest thing about working in advertising today? The responses were… revealing. Those questions became the backbone of this episode.

The result is a candid, unfiltered conversation about the stuff people usually whisper about in corridors but rarely say out loud.

💡 In this episode:

🔥 Burnout in an always on industry
 🎭 Tokenism and being the only one in the room
 🧠 What to do when someone steals your idea
 ✨ The uncomfortable truth about what actually makes a creative genius

Expect honest stories, practical advice and a few moments where the panel probably wonders why they agreed to do this.

⚠️ Warning: this episode contains strong language and tackles a few uncomfortable topics. Because sometimes the truth about agency life isn’t polite… and definitely isn’t PG 😬

Not all awards are created equal. 

🏆 The Creative Floor Awards – Second Deadline: 20 March
📅 Full dates and entry details: https://thecreativefloor.com/ 
Best of luck to everyone entering, and thank you for supporting work that changes careers and lives through our Talent & Diversity Fund.

🗳️ New for 2026: Public Vote Categories
Anyone can judge. Literally anyone. The real question is whether our award-winning jury knows better than the internet. We’re about to find out.

📩 Contact: [email protected]
📢 Hiring or promoting something useful?
Open roles, services, or opportunities are welcome.
📩 Contact: [email protected]

💡 Mentorship
The Creative Floor Awards Mentorship program offers discreet, expert support for creatives at every level, from Junior Creatives to Chief Creative Officers (and everyone in between). Ask the questions you can't always say out loud, with guidance by email or video, when you need it: https://thecreativefloor.com/mentorship

📘 Agency Tales: The Book
Available here: https://thecreativefloor.com/agency-tales 

WIN a limited edition signed screen print of the book cover with every purchase. 🎁 Details: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUshGDSjNNh/?

📚 Brand New Masterclass: ‘The Common Sense Guide to Advertising’ by Steve Hudson Founder of The Power of Advertising. To book an in-person/virtual session or pre-order the online film visit: https://thecreativefloor.com/masterclass

🎙️ This Episode: The World’s Most Awarded Producer
We take you to New York to sit down with the world’s most awarded producer in health and wellness advertising, Chinkara Singh, Chief Production Officer at Havas Health. As the production mastermind behind Area 23, Chinkara has helped deliver hundreds of the industry’s most celebrated campaigns and has shaped some of the most awarded creative work in healthcare communications.
Ever wondered how the best producers make the impossible happen? You are about to find out how one of the best does it.

From humble beginnings to global leadership, Chinkara shares a raw and honest account of her journey. She speaks openly about self-belief, resilience and why waiting to be chosen is never a strategy. It is an honest conversation about owning what makes you different, finding your voice, protecting your creative energy and learning that being bold, direct and persistent is not a flaw. It is often the very thing that drives exponential growth.

She also reveals the untold stories behind some of the industry’s most awarded work, including the pressure, the last-minute saves and the unbelievable moments you only hear about if you were in the room.

If you are ready to stop waiting and start taking control of your career, this episode will give you the motivation and the tools to do exactly that.

Not all awards are created equal.

🏆 The Creative Floor Awards – First Deadline is this Friday: 06 March
📅 Full dates and entry details: https://thecreativefloor.com/ 
Best of luck to everyone entering, and thank you for supporting work that changes careers and lives through our Talent & Diversity Fund.

 📢 Hiring or promoting something useful? Get it heard on the next podcast. 
📩 Contact: [email protected]

💡 Mentorship
Feeling stuck? The greatest creatives never do it alone. Get support with self-confidence, personal branding, award case films, career development, presentation training and much, much more. For full details visit: https://thecreativefloor.com/mentorship

📘 Agency Tales: The Book
Available here: https://thecreativefloor.com/agency-tales 

WIN a limited edition signed screen print of the book cover with every purchase. 🎁 Details: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUshGDSjNNh/?

📚 Brand New Masterclass: ‘The Common Sense Guide to Advertising’ by Steve Hudson Founder of The Power of Advertising. Available from 3rd March. To book an in-person/virtual session or to pre-order the online film visit: https://thecreativefloor.com/masterclass

🎙️ This Episode: Never Finished
We head to New York to sit down with Susan Credle, whose 40-year career in advertising is exceptionally rare. From starting as a receptionist at BBDO to becoming Chief Creative Officer at Leo Burnett Chicago, then FCB, and eventually executive leadership at IPG, she helped turn FCB into the USA’s most creative and award-winning agency. Few in the industry and even fewer women have achieved what she has.

What you’ll get from this episode:
• 💡 Leadership lessons – How to inspire teams and build a culture that delivers industry defining work
• 🎯 Creative excellence – Insights on keeping creativity and values at the heart of your organisation
• 🚀 Career guidance – Tips from a 40-year career in advertising that few have matched
• 🛠️ Overcoming obstacles – How Susan navigated a male-dominated industry
• 📚 Stories and insights – Behind-the-scenes moments from BBDO, Leo Burnett, FCB, and IPG
• 🌟 Masterclass in empathy – Leading with understanding and how to build connection
• 👀 Inspiration for creatives – Practical takeaways for anyone aiming to level up in their career
• 🤝 Mentorship perspective – How other industry legends influenced her journey, including Cindy Gallop and Carter Murray

Whether you’re looking for inspiration, career guidance, or a window into the mindset of one of advertising’s most formidable figures, this episode delivers it all.

Not all awards are created equal.

🔗 Links mentioned in the episode: 

Tootsie Roll: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6rHeD5x2tI

Coca Cola: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib-Qiyklq-Q&list=RDib-Qiyklq-Q&start_radio=1

All State Mayhem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtP-S9OS0o0

Secret Deodorant, Mean Stinks : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNepyGiNGTI

🏆 The Creative Floor Awards First Deadline: 06 March
📅 Full entry dates and details: https://thecreativefloor.com/  
Best of luck to everyone entering, and thank you for supporting work that changes careers and lives through our Talent & Diversity Fund.

🗳️ New for 2026: Public Vote Categories
Anyone can judge. Literally anyone. The real question: does our award-winning jury know better than the internet? We’re about to find out. 
📧 Email: [email protected]

📢 Hiring or promoting something useful?
Open roles, services, or opportunities welcome.
👂 Email: [email protected]

💡 The Creative Floor Awards Mentorship Platform
Feeling stuck? Not reaching your full potential? You're in good company as the greatest creatives never do it alone. We cover confidence, personal branding, how to thrive redundancy, award case studies, portfolios, creative direction, career progression, pitching, presentation skills, and everything in between. Mentorship starts from just £29.
Get guidance, perspective, or just some headspace here 👉https://thecreativefloor.com/mentorship 

📘 Agency Tales: The Book
Available here 👉 https://thecreativefloor.com/agency-tales
WIN a limited edition signed screen print of the book cover with every purchase. 
🎁 Details: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUshGDSjNNh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

🎙️ Straya calling 🇦🇺 The Creative Floor Awards continues its Australian tour. And to celebrate the launch of our new Mentorship platform, we are talking about leadership. What it is. What it isn't. And how you actually get there. Because leadership is lonely. It's messy. And most people never talk about it honestly. This episode is not about titles, LinkedIn buzzwords or performative confidence. It is about what leadership really feels like when the meeting ends, the door closes, and you are the one left holding the pressure. We sit down with Jeremy Perrott, former Global Chief Creative Officer of McCann Health, and June Laffey, former CCO of McCann Health New York and now a Creative Leadership Coach. We get into the reality of leadership, not the LinkedIn version:
• Protecting your agency’s values when everyone else wants the easy win
• Standing up for creativity when compromise feels easier
• Backing the troublemakers instead of silencing them
• Absorbing pressure without cracking
The question is simple. How do you lead without selling out your people or yourself? The Ultimate Guide to Leadership tackles doubt, pressure and the messy human side of leading. Real honesty. Real tools. And the blueprint for creating brave, life-changing work, and a legacy for yourself. 

⚠️ Language is colourful.
 🍺 Could be Aussie punctuation.
 🤷 Who knows.

Grab a cold one and plug in.
For mentorship and support from today’s panel:
The Creative Floor Awards Mentorship: https://thecreativefloor.com/mentorship
June Laffey: Website: https://www.junelaffey.com/ Email: [email protected]
Jeremy Perrott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-perrott-257246168/
Not All Awards Are Created Equal