AUCKLAND, Today: Matt Wood, Senior Copywriter & Creative at Ogilvy New Zealand, is a tutor for AWARD School. Each year, hundreds of aspiring creatives, marketers, and strategists sign up to sharpen their creative problem-solving skills and learn from some of the best in the business.
Matt shares what makes AWARD School a game-changer for anyone looking to break into the world of commercial creativity—and provides a few golden nuggets for those sitting on the fence about applying.
“AWARD School is for anyone who has a passion for creativity and ideas”. To what extent would you agree with that description, or who would you say this course is for?
This course is for anyone who loves to solve an eclectic range of problems by thinking differently. Maybe you’re looking to escape a punishing dead-end job… maybe you’ve heard that there’s constant access to snacks… or maybe you just want to make some weird shit.Either way, this is the perfect course to test the waters and see if adland, or a career in commercial creativity, is for you.
Can you share a memorable tute moment from last year?
For me it wasn’t so much the tute, but one of the ideas that came out of it. One of our students, Lily, wrote a script for ‘Bear Claw Hands’ for an ancestry client. It was unexpected and brilliant. Turns out, having bear claw hands is a real disadvantage in and around bouncy castles.
What will students get out of the course, and more specifically, the online program that you help tutor?
They’ll get a pretty good idea of how the industry works and how to approach an idea. The only disadvantage is when they land their first ad job, get their first ‘real’ brief—and media have taken all the budget, leaving you with the crumbs.
How has your approach to creativity evolved throughout your career?
Initially, I thought I needed to get clued up on every famous ad that had ever been made so I could understand the formula. But there isn’t one. The best ideas come from simply living your life, whether it’s deciphering the gobbledygook from your toddler—or your mechanic. Being creative is a constant cycle of thinking you know what you’re doing to having no idea the next day. It’s unpredictable, wild and highly addictive.
What recent local campaigns have inspired you and why?
Special’s Cold Call Back with Vanilla Ice. Genius.
What’s the one golden nugget of advice you’d share with anyone who’s on the fence about applying for AWARD School?
Thinking yourself to a standstill doesn’t get you anywhere. Don’t risk not knowing.
AWARD School 2025 applications open on 6 February. Want to learn how to craft a winning submission? Tune into the Virtual Info Night on Tuesday 4 February. Register here.
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