How the creative director creates massively memorable marketing material

To Alex Wilson, Executive Creative Director of Amplify Making marketing content is just like making everything else. It's all about grabbing (and keeping) people's attention. "You can inform through an entertainment lens," Alex says. Alex. "I find that most people do not mind being marketed to or advertised to if they enjoy it."

Amplify is a global creative agency that specializes in the field of experiential marketing. They create big-scale events and experiences for companies like Playstation, Netflix, Levi's and many others. "We are able to bring our creativity to life across all channels," says Alex. "Historically we've been referred to as a more brand agency for experience, however content was always the center of everything we were working on."

We had a chance to chat with Alex to hear more about his creative process and his opinions on the current landscape. Find out what he said in our conversation, or check out the video interview below.

What's your North Star when it comes to video production?

"Our mission is always to inform and entertain. This is one of the main advantages of video content. It lets you create a compelling viewers. In the end, whenever someone comes at us and wants to utilize this technology for something, we think about the moment as being a singular scene or canvas that is part of a larger work of storytelling."

How can you ensure that your product is of the highest quality? What keeps you on track?

"Audience, always. Whoever we're talking to is crucial. Are you communicating with them in the ways they want to be spoken to, in the ways they want to be spoken to? It is important to begin by talking to the people in your audience. Then, think about the best way to speak to them and bring them value. Do not interfere with their interaction, but rather elevate the experience."

How do you know what type of content is appropriate for the client you are working with?

"Whether you're looking for an immersive TV show or a search for the largest person who is a fan of a particular television show on Netflix or if it's creating the world of a smartphone and breaking the rules of how a retail setting can be, to launching the newest sneaker, the newest game title. All our work starts with the viewer and ultimately the idea of how to implement that concept through a variety of channels.

We aren't always able to be working towards a particular output. Our clients' briefs are often sent to us with this, but that's what that compromise, collaboration, and co-creation comes from, will allow you to discover the most effective solution for your needs, even if it wasn't necessarily what they thought that it would be initially."

What do you consider the effectiveness of your work?

"For us, it's about 'Did you tell the truth about that tale to the target audience we intended the story for?' That's all we must be aware of. We work a lot with different cultures and subcultures. There is a fantastic strategic part of our organization that focuses on cultural. As an agency, been extremely near to it.

We strive to collaborate with individuals rather than broadcast to them, bring people into the process to collaborate and help us create those experiences and content with them, so that it's an enjoyable experience for them as well as their audience. There's no clear answer regarding what success might be, however if we created content using a method that was accepted by the viewers and was well-received by the audience, that's a great gain for us."

What is the most helpful piece of advice you've ever received?

"My chief creative director, Jeavon Smith, said that to me "Ignore the noise. I believe that it's useful in many scenarios. It helps you focus only on the work you're here to accomplish and also what other people have to offer each other and work in a cohesive manner because there's plenty of noise that goes on."

How do you use ?

"Lots of individuals in the studio and the agency employ it in lots of ways. It is most definitely one of the most popular. Finding new talents is a really good one to us. In terms of an internal use, we talk about the work we have done ultimately as a portfolio of works. When we need to find examples of work we've done here or how do we record this in some manner, gives us a way to go back and access that."