Twist or Stick: “Don’t get too comfortable” – Elvis creative directors

It’s easy to get comfy in the ad industry, but as Elvis creative directors Neale Horrigan and Leigh Wallace tell The Drum and Twist Recruitment, you’ll never broaden your skill base if you don’t keep challenging yourself.

From pitches with sex dolls and alcopops to a lone speech in front of a room of hostile feedback, Elvis creative directors Neale Horrigan and Leigh Wallace have their share of stories from the industry. And for those trying to break into the world of advertising, their advice is simple: be nice to people on the way up, chase the work and not the money, and always know your worth.The pair both agree that the essential for creatives is to keep challenging themselves and never get comfortable. The first task is to get your foot in the door, Wallace advises, but once that’s done, be clear about where you’re going.“At our first agency, we went in and we were doing a lot of exciting TV projects, but I think we probably stayed there too long,” he says. “I think you’ve always got to be aware that you’re broadening your skill base, you’re making sure that you have your definite goals, and I think we were just happy to be there for too long.”“It’s really easy to get comfy,” Horrigan adds. “It’s a lovely place to be – you’re in, you’ve made it, but you’ve got to keep challenging yourself, every day of the week.”Interview by Paul Wood, words by Angela HaggertyThis interview is part of The Drum’s Twist or Stick series in partnership with Twist recruitment. Read the full piece in the latest issue of The Drum by subscribing here. Subscribers can download a copy here. In the next instalment of Twist or Stick, we profile Nick Hastings, founder, Krow. Got a question for Nick? Tweet us using the hashtag #twistorstick and you could see your question answered in The Drum on 30 April.