SCOTT WATSON

CREATIVE
FINGERPRINT
USA

Executive Jury member, Scott Watson, Creative at Fingerpaint oversees the entire creative team in the agency’s second-largest office. With a career spanning 30 years, Scott has brought his creative insights and award-winning sensibilities to the Global Awards jury for the past 15 years. Throughout his career, Scott has developed dynamic, on-target work for more than 100 campaign launches in various therapeutic categories over the course of his career.

He joined Fingerpaint after a successful 13-year tenure at Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide, where he rose to EVP, Global Chief Creative Officer, where at one time he was responsible for 200+ creative team members spread across several countries. Prior to Ogilvy, he spent 14 years at McCann, including 6 years as EVP, Creative Director.

When Scott’s not helping the creative team continue to elevate their work, he can be found enjoying the great outdoors. He’s an avid boater and a self-proclaimed “landscaper wannabe.”

The motto for the 2018 Global awards is FEEL Creative. It’s about knowing your audience and empathizing to deliver top notch communications to not only represent your client fully but make people happier and healthier. Tell us a bit about your process – do ideas just come to you, or is it a collective brainstorm with your team? 

Ideas come from all places and times. Either in a group brainstorm or with individual teams. I personally prefer to two-person team approach, I always found that the back and forth dance is very creatively stimulating. When there are two of you the switch never goes off, you can connect with each other at any given time. There is also that moment when you just know you have a special idea and then you give it some time to breathe and come to life, it’s a great feeling.

If you could work pro bono for a brand, foundation, or organization in your field who would it be and why?

I don’t know if a foundation or organization exists for this? If so I’m in. But, when I used to drive into NY and now into Philly I often see homeless people out looking for some sort of help, usually financial. It’s usually the same people and yes, they are people! I worry about them daily, and not just financially, but for their health. I want to start and organization to help get them to get back on their feet and more importantly to a much more healthy state of being.  

Why did you choose to work in the field of healthcare and wellness advertising?  Did you fall into it or seek it out?  And what did you find when you got there that you didn’t expect.

I had no choice but to fall into it. My former package design company was being sabotaged by its owner and the company was falling under. I was 25 years old with a baby on the way and needed a job. I called a friend from college who got me an interview at a place called Salthouse Torre Norton, they took a chance on me, and I’ve been grateful ever since. I had no idea what healthcare advertising was, my first project was to work on a (Slim Jim), yes, I’m dating myself. The only Slim Jim I knew of was the tasty one you snap into. Once I got past the language/terminology barrier I began to better understand the business and fell in love with it. 27 years later and I am still in love with it and still grateful for the opportunity to work in this amazing field.

You’ve been lending your creative insights to the Globals for the past 15+ years, (huge thanks) what was the impetus for your dedication to the Global Awards and why do you continue to provide your discerning evaluation to this competition?    

I’ve said this every year at the judging and the show. This is the best show period. Not just because of the work, more so for the community it creates among creative leaders. If it were not for the Globals I wouldn’t have made the friendships I have over the years. We challenge each other, laugh together, learn from each other and enjoy each other’s company, at the highest level in our industry. That’s pretty special.