Creative Director, General Marketing, T Brand (temporary)

Creative Director, General Marketing, T Brand (Temporary)

The mission of The New York Times is to seek the truth and help people understand the world. That means independent journalism is at the heart of all we do as a company. It's why we have a world-renowned newsroom that sends journalists to report on the ground from nearly 160 countries. It's why we focus deeply on how our readers will experience our journalism, from print to audio to a world-class digital and app destination. And it's why our business strategy centers on making journalism so good that it's worth paying for.

About the Role, Mission or Department Overview

This Temp Creative Director will play a pivotal role in shaping branded storytelling for T Brand's most important General Market advertising categories, including CPG, travel, spirits, retail, services, entertainment and more.

T Brand Studio is the creative center of excellence and maker studio within NYT Advertising. Inspired by the journalism and innovation of the NY Times, T Brand crafts stories that enable brands to make their mark on the world. Our skilled team of journalists, copywriters, editors, creative directors, designers, videographers, producers, program managers and developers create innovative branded advertising content and custom audio for brands that are embedded in The New York Times platform and its related media offerings.

We are looking for a Temp Creative Director for The Athletic who is inspired by culture, with a special interest in brands under the General Market umbrella. You are a creative visionary who makes work that people want to find, become a part of and share. You are proficient in building strategic frameworks for brands that need both credibility and cultural resonance. Category fluency and strategic rigor are paramount.

Responsibilities

• This is a unique role. You are an independent contributor who will manage creative programs and projects, but you are not a people manager and will not have direct reports; you must bring a collaborative spirit to your work, while also providing guidance, clarity and leadership
• Collaborate with disciplines across T Brand Studio, NYTA and TA, ranging from video producers, strategists, PMs and sales teams to editors, writers, art directors and designers
• Develop sports-centric creative concepts for brands across major verticals—including consumer goods, automotive, luxury, entertainment and more—ensuring the work aligns with The NYT's editorial tone and feels native to the environments in which it will live, while also meeting category-specific business goals.
• Facilitate the creative of the conceptual framework for all projects
• Frame and lead a creative vision for a client to fruition
• Manage the concept strategy which meets the goals of the clients
• Revise, pivot and rework ideas with patience
• Partner with Sales and Strategy partners to navigate complex client structures, map creative solutions to category insights—across various brand categories—while ensuring that branded content maintains the authenticity, credibility and tone consistent with The NYT's editorial environment.
• Partner with Program Management to build scopes of work and project plans that set our team up for success against creative deliverables
• Provide clear and objective critiques of creative work
• Present internally and externally to clients
• Remain current and communicate industry trends and techniques
• Cultivate a deep understanding of The NYT's journalism and storytelling approach so that branded content is filtered through that lens and feels native to The NYT audience and complements various editorial franchises
• Establish clear parameters around brand and product integration
• Master NYT ad products and formats in order to pitch work and creative ecosystems that harness the breadth of the full portfolio of brands
• Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.

Basic Qualifications

• 10+ Years of Experience in a branded content studio, media, advertising agency or brand in-house agency environment
• Exceptional craft in copy and conceptual storytelling
• Experience writing in a variety of voices, tones, styles and lengths or compelling design direction, typography and visual solutions
• Demonstrated experience creating work across a wide range of advertiser categories—such as consumer goods, automotive, luxury, entertainment, travel, tech and others
• Experience developing creative platforms that build trust, credibility and cultural relevance for brands across categories
• Understand digital media audiences and their behaviors
• Demonstrated experience across a wide range of marketing channels
• Solid presentation skills – a requirement for both internal and external creative presentations
• Knowledge and genuine interest in the New York Times journalism and brand