VML & Ogilvy | Art Director (BEAT Studio), Japan

WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands.  We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth.    We work with the world's most valuable brands and have global reach across 100+ markets, with deep local expertise.   Our people are the key to our success. We're committed to fostering a culture of creativity, belonging and continuous learning, attracting and developing the brightest talent, and providing exciting career opportunities that help our people grow.    For more information, visit WPP.com.   We are looking for a Creative Director to lead creative strategy and execution for key clients across Beauty, Feminine Care, and Tech. This role requires strong conceptual leadership and excellent craft standards, with the ability to drive performance in social media and content ecosystems, alongside data- and AI-enabled marketing approaches. You will shape integrated campaigns from idea to delivery, guide multidisciplinary teams, and build trusted client relationships through clear storytelling and confident presentations in both Japanese and English. You will also bring a sharp understanding of consumer insight, particularly in categories where empathy and nuance materially improve creative relevance and effectiveness. WHAT YOU'LL DO * Lead the development and execution of creative strategies and concepts for clients across Beauty, Feminine Care, and Tech * Take ownership of creative leadership for a major Feminine Care business, leveraging strong TVC production experience and production control capability * Drive innovative ideation across PR, activation, digital, and commerce * Lead creative work across social media and content production, driving strong performance and creative effectiveness * Partner with strategy, data, media, and marketing platform teams to translate insights (including data/AI learnings) into effective creative solutions * Lead and develop the creative team in line with WPP’s vision for diverse leadership, coaching talent and raising creative standards * Own client presentations and workshops in Japanese and English, building strong, long-term relationships and confidence in creative leadership * Direct high-quality visual outputs, especially in Beauty, including key visuals and product cut work, ensuring craft excellence across deliverables WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE * Campaigns and content that are insight-led, culturally sharp, and commercially effective * Strong leadership across integrated workstreams (TVC, PR, activation, digital, commerce) * A creative team that feels energized, clear on direction, and consistently producing higher-quality work * Client trust built through clear rationale, strong presentation, and reliable delivery WHAT YOU'LL NEED * Experience in an agency or in-house creative organization at Lead / ACD / CD level * Strong creative leadership in Beauty and/or Feminine Care categories; Tech experience is a plus * Proven experience leading TVC production and managing production control (quality, timelines, stakeholders) * Ideation and execution experience across PR, activation, digital, and commerce * Deep understanding of social media and content production (not only campaign decks) * Strong interest in leveraging data and AI-enabled marketing platforms to build better creative solutions * Confident presentation capability in both languages * Business-level English (presentation capability required) * Native-level Japanese (presentation capability required) * Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Keynote/PowerPoint * Experience using generative AI for ideation and/or using AI agents in creative workflows is strongly preferred * Creative background may be copy-based or art-based; what matters most is the ability to deliver the outcomes described above WHO YOU ARE * You turn consumer insight into creative that feels true, modern, and effective, especially in categories where nuance matters * You embrace change and actively explore new creative approaches and technologies * You bring strong leadership energy: you motivate teams, raise the bar, and grow people * You collaborate smoothly across diverse teams and stakeholders in a global environment * You balance logical thinking with strong creative ideation: clear rationale and strong ideas ABOUT US VML & OGILVY JAPAN GK WAS ESTABLISHED IN APRIL 2019 AS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN GEOMETRY GLOBAL AND THE OGILVY GROUP TO ENHANCE OUR OFFERING TO BRANDS IN JAPAN IN SUPPORT OF THEIR BUSINESS AMBITIONS AND MARKETING OBJECTIVES. WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF CREATIVITY TO DRIVE MEANINGFUL CHANGE THAT DELIVERS POSITIVE BUSINESS OUTCOMES. NOW MORE THAN EVER THE ABILITY FOR AN AGENCY TO FLEX AND ADAPT TO CLIENTS CHANGING NEEDS IS VITAL IN THE APPLICATION OF COMMUNICATIONS, BRAND EXPERIENCE, COMMERCE AND TECHNOLOGY. OUR BLEND OF GLOBAL AND LOCAL EXPERTISE AND MARKETING CAPABILITY IS DESIGNED TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF TODAY WHILE SETTING OUR CLIENTS UP FOR SUCCESS FROM TOMORROW AND BEYOND. VML & OGILVY JAPAN GK IS A WPP COMPANY (NASDAQ: WWPGY)   #LI-DNP  We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. WPP is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers. PLEASE READ OUR PRIVACY NOTICE (HTTPS://WWW.WPP.COM/EN/CAREERS/WPP-PRIVACY-POLICY-FOR-RECRUITMENT) FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW WE PROCESS THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE.

WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands.  We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth.    We work with the world's most valuable brands and have global reach across 100+ markets, with deep local expertise.   Our people are the key to our success. We're committed to fostering a culture of creativity, belonging and continuous learning, attracting and developing the brightest talent, and providing exciting career opportunities that help our people grow.    For more information, visit WPP.com.   THE WPP CONTENT STUDIO: Our Content Studio is dedicated to producing automated, performance-driven creatives at scale. This means we don't just make ads; we engineer dynamic, intelligent content that learns, adapts, and is optimized for maximum impact. We move beyond traditional static campaigns to content that resonate with individual audiences.   Our capability is enabled by AI and Analytics. We harness AI to understand audience nuances, predict trends, and automate complex creative variations. Our integration with analytics ensures that every creative decision is data-informed, allowing us to continuously measure, learn, and refine for media effectiveness and performance.   Our team consists of talent across: * Creative: Our designers and content creators push the boundaries of visual storytelling and compelling messaging, ensuring every asset is engaging and on-brand. * Ad engineering: Our template designers build the messaging and data frameworks and pipelines that make dynamic, scalable creative possible. * Innovation: We are always exploring new technologies, platforms, and methodologies to stay at the forefront of the dynamic creative space.   By seamlessly integrating art and science, the WPP Content Studio delivers: * Relevance at scale: Tailored messages and visuals that speak directly to each consumer. * Effectiveness: Automated production processes that drastically reduce time-to-market and cost. * Performance: Creatives that are continuously optimized by data, driving higher engagement, conversions, and ROI for our clients.   ABOUT THE ROLE: We are looking for a Client lead / Project director to join our dynamic team. This critical role will serve as the central liaison, orchestrating the seamless execution of complex dynamic creative projects. You will be the primary bridge between our internal creative and technical teams, and our valued clients. Your expertise in project management, communication, and stakeholder alignment will ensure that all projects are delivered on time, within scope, and to the highest quality standards, driving the success of our personalized marketing initiatives.   WHAT YOU'LL DO: * Strategic Project Leadership: Own the end-to-end project lifecycle for dynamic creative campaigns, from initial brief to final delivery and post-launch analysis. * Cross-Functional Liaison: Act as the primary point of contact and facilitator between: * Clients: Manage client expectations, provide regular updates, gather feedback, and ensure their strategic objectives are met through our dynamic creative solutions. * Internal Teams: Collaborate closely with our Dynamic Creative Template Designers, Developers, Data Strategists, and Media Buyers to ensure seamless workflow, resource allocation, and technical feasibility. * Timeline & Resource Management: Develop, manage, and communicate detailed project plans, timelines, and resource allocations. Proactively identify and mitigate potential risks, bottlenecks, and scope creep. * Deliverable Management: Define clear deliverables, ensure their quality, and facilitate timely reviews and approvals from all stakeholders. * Communication & Alignment: Establish and maintain clear, consistent communication channels across all parties. Facilitate meetings, document decisions, and ensure all stakeholders are informed and aligned on project status, changes, and next steps. * Briefing & Scoping: Work with clients to refine creative briefs, ensuring they are comprehensive, actionable, and suitable for dynamic creative execution. Help define project scope and requirements. * Process Improvement: Continuously identify opportunities to optimize workflows, improve communication, and enhance the efficiency of our dynamic creative production process. * Stakeholder Relationship Management: Build strong, trusting relationships with clients and internal teams, fostering a collaborative and productive environment. * Reporting: Provide regular project status reports to senior management and key stakeholders.   DESIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE * 6+ years of experience in project management within a marketing technology company, or in-house creative/marketing department, with a strong focus on digital advertising. * Proven experience managing complex digital projects involving multiple stakeholders, particularly those with a dynamic or personalized creative component (DCO, programmatic creative). * Business Japanese + proficient spoken/ written English * Exceptional communication skills (written and verbal) with the ability to articulate complex technical and creative concepts clearly to diverse audiences (technical, creative, client-facing). * Strong understanding of the digital advertising ecosystem, including ad formats (display, social, video), ad serving, and dynamic creative optimization (DCO) principles. * Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. * Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills. * Experience working with creative teams and understanding the creative development process. * A collaborative spirit and a proven ability to build consensus and drive projects forward. * Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field.   BONUS POINTS IF YOU HAVE: * PMP or other relevant project management certification. * Experience with agile methodologies. * Familiarity with creative production workflows for video and HTML5. * Experience working directly with DCO platforms (e.g., Celtra, Jivox, Ad-Lib.io, io). * Background in client services or account management #LI-DNP  We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. WPP is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers. PLEASE READ OUR PRIVACY NOTICE (HTTPS://WWW.WPP.COM/EN/CAREERS/WPP-PRIVACY-POLICY-FOR-RECRUITMENT) FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW WE PROCESS THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE.

WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands.  We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth.    We work with the world's most valuable brands and have global reach across 100+ markets, with deep local expertise.   Our people are the key to our success. We're committed to fostering a culture of creativity, belonging and continuous learning, attracting and developing the brightest talent, and providing exciting career opportunities that help our people grow.    For more information, visit WPP.com.   THE ROLE You are the heartbeat of WPP Content Studio. A digital-first, social-native creator who thrives at the intersection of culture, content, and technology. You don’t just make content—you shape conversations. You can think strategically, ideate fearlessly, and execute flawlessly across digital platforms, owned channels, and paid media. You know how to connect creativity with performance, and you’re not afraid to experiment, adapt, and push boundaries. You have a start-up mindset—curious, proactive, and hungry to learn. You’re fluent in the language of pop culture, native to social media, and just as comfortable in a brainstorm as you are presenting ideas to clients. And you’re excited about the future: you embrace AI as a tool to work faster, smarter, and bolder.   KEY RESPONSIBILITIES * Partner with Strategy, Creative, and Business teams to crack briefs with insight-driven, platform-smart ideas. * Conceive, create, and deploy organic and paid content/ad across digital touchpoints: social platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, Line, Amazon, Pinterest, Websites, etc). * Translate brand goals into culturally relevant content that sparks conversations and drives results. * Confidently present concepts and creative work to internal teams and clients. * Collaborate with producers, designers, editors, and animators to bring ideas to life in motion, static, or interactive formats. * Use AI tools (provided by the studio) to accelerate ideation, content creation, data insights, and optimization—bringing human creativity + machine intelligence together. * Leverage performance data to optimize creative output, pivot strategies, and continually raise the bar. * Prep and run simple shoots, liaising with directors/photographers and managing execution end-to-end when needed. * Build compelling decks (Keynote/PowerPoint) that sell ideas as well as the work itself.   SKILLS & EXPERIENCE * 3+ years of experience in digital content creation, social media, or digital design roles. * Proven ability to design and deliver content across own organic, paid media. * Deep knowledge of social platforms, content trends, and digital best practices. * Strong storytelling skills—across design, copy, motion graphics, and video editing. * Experience in using AI for creative workflows (image, video, text, audio, insights). * Big-picture thinker with meticulous attention to detail. * Excellent presentation and communication skills, with the ability to pitch and persuade. * Fully conversant with Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and social-native tools.   PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES * Entrepreneurial, start-up mindset: proactive, self-driven, and adaptive. * Collaborative team player—open-minded, transparent, and ego-free. * Relentlessly curious about people, culture, brands, and technology. * Thrives in fast-paced environments, with strong time management skills. * Passionate about delivering creative work that is both innovative and effective. * Energized by doing the right thing for our clients—solution and results focused.   LANGUAGE SKILLS * English: Conversational level * Japanese: Business level   #LI-DNI #LI-DNP We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. WPP is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers. PLEASE READ OUR PRIVACY NOTICE (HTTPS://WWW.WPP.COM/EN/CAREERS/WPP-PRIVACY-POLICY-FOR-RECRUITMENT) FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW WE PROCESS THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE.