Tom Murphy is Co-Chief Creative Officer at VML, a global creative advertising and digital marketing agency shaped by a human-first approach. Since leaving his role as CCO of McCann New York, Tom has driven some of VML's most visible projects, working with iconic brands like Hellmann's, Vaseline and Mastercard.
Throughout his career, Tom has created impactful work like the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism’s “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” campaign, which was awarded a Gold Effie. As part of our 5 Questions series, I caught up with Tom to discuss the danger of chasing relevance, imposter syndrome and his ultimate creative pet peeve.
What does staying relevant mean to you? How do you do it?
I fear that the moment you start to think about 'staying relevant' is the moment you start losing relevance. But I am very conscious of remaining open and curious and uncynical. I feed my head with news, art, film, music and the perspectives of the zillion people I follow on Instagram. It also helps having 2 kids who are about as Gen Z as you can get. I’m constantly asking for their take on things.
What’s been the biggest imposter syndrome moment in your career
I remember when I finally got into the ‘beer group’ at an agency I worked at years ago. These were the teams that worked on a famous big American beer brand, and they were known to be the funniest, most creative thinkers in the agency. Reading scripts in front of this group was deeply intimidating. They had no mercy on an unfunny idea. I felt I’d been found out!
What’s your creative pet peeve?
Lazy AI comps. In the hands of an art director with great taste, AI can be an amazing tool. But when you use it in an unthinking way, it can look so generic and cheesy that it literally depresses me. It can suck any bit of goodness out of an idea. Use it with care!
What's one thing all creatives should do outside of work?
Read. Not just posts on your phone. Actually read.
What would be the name of your autobiography?
Reasons to Believe: A life in advertising.
