Group Creative Director

Our purpose is… to change people’s lives for the better through wellness. We are passionate about supporting people to lead healthy, fulfilled lives by providing a space where they can focus on their physical, mental and social wellbeing.
Our mission is to create an environment where wellness works for everyone. At Virgin Active, wellness is not just about fitness - it’s about creating real experiences that support members in their holistic health journey.
We provide a luxury wellness environment that fosters personal growth, community, and transformation. Our approach is accessible, inclusive, and built on the foundation of social wellness.

Our wellness offering is built on core pillars which define who we are and how we deliver on our promise:

• Refreshing Real Experiences: Authentic, engaging experiences that inspire lasting wellness.
• Holistic Wellness: A comprehensive approach integrating fitness, mental health, nutrition, and recovery.
• Curated Guidance and Progress: Personalized coaching and programs to support sustainable progress.
• Communities Without Conformity: Diverse, welcoming environments where everyone feels empowered.

• Lead the creative vision for the brand and drive seamless execution across our 8 markets.
• Develop bold and distinctive insight-led concepts and drive conceptual firepower within the Creative Studio.
• Develop world class creative that helps drive acquisition and retention, while propelling the Virgin Active brand to new heights around the world.
• Hold a natural and strong affinity for tone of voice and messaging strategy.
• Play a pivotal role across all aspects of creative output, including brand strategy, visual and tonal identity, advertising, spatial design, digital ecosystem including CRM, performance media, digital channels, app and in-club screens, product marketing, live events and partner comms.
• Work with the Creative Studio team to conceptualise and execute through-the-line campaigns that have real impact.
• Work on a mix of global brand campaigns, localised seasonal campaigns, digital content generation, product launches, activations, and classic above-the-line work like TV, Radio and OOH.
• Select and lead creative partners and freelancers (where required) as an extension of the Creative Studio.
• Contribute to broader business and brand strategy, working closely with Member Engagement, Operations, Product, Sales and Marketing teams to deliver shared business objectives.
• Nurture and lead your team and get your hands dirty on the day to day creative.

Experience:

• Advertising / Copywriting / Design qualification

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience as a Creative Director within a marketing, advertising, design agency or in-house role.
• Global brand pedigree with experience setting the global creative direction and overseeing deployment across multiple languages, cultures, and consumer touchpoints.

Skills:

• Creative Visionary: You should have a strong creative vision and the ability to develop and communicate a compelling creative direction that aligns with the brand's objectives and resonates with the target audience.
• Conceptual firepower: You should be an ideas person – confident in developing and executing ideas that stand out in the noise and feel like work ‘only Virgin Active could do’.
• Leadership: Strong leadership skills are essential. You need to inspire and lead a team of creative professionals, providing guidance and constructive feedback while fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment.
• Strategic Thinking: Understand the larger marketing and business strategy. You must be able to connect creative ideas to Virgin Active’s overall goals and demonstrate how they will contribute to success.
• Cross-Cultural Competence: In a global role, cultural sensitivity and an understanding of regional differences are crucial. You should be able to adapt creative concepts to resonate with diverse audiences around the world.
• Strategic storytelling: The ability to tell a compelling brand story is a must. Whether through visuals, words, or multimedia, you should be able to craft narratives that captivate and engage the audience.
• Multimedia Expertise: You should be well-versed in various forms of creative media, from traditional print and television to digital and emerging technologies like VR and AR.
• Digital Marketing Proficiency: In today's landscape, understanding performance marketing, social media, SEO, and content marketing is crucial. Stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies.
• Data-Driven Decision-Making: The ability to use data and analytics to assess the effectiveness of creative campaigns and make informed decisions for optimization.
• Continuous Learning: Staying current with industry trends and technologies is essential.

Behaviors:

• Passionate about wellness.
• Global perspective and appreciation of cultural nuance.
• Desire to innovate and encourage your team to experiment with new approaches.
• Translate creative thinking into campaigns that drive commercial outcomes.
• Adaptable to change as the marketing landscape, technologies and consumer behaviours evolve.
• Successfully sell your vision to senior stakeholders across multiple territories.