CAA Brand Management’s Jon Morgan on the agency’s newly launched consultancy service

Hi, Jon! The role of a Creative Director varies from company to company. How would you define what you do at CAA Brand Management?
My first exposure to this world was working in publishing. After studying and doing several internships at various creative agencies and magazines, I had my first full-time role… I was a junior designer at Dazed & Confused Magazine…

It was there that I first worked under a creative director. Seeing how they worked with the editors, art directors, stylists and photographers to create such a strong sense of storytelling was addictive. Creating a strong narrative, driving direction and vision to engage brands with their audience is what I knew I wanted to keep doing – and what we aim to do with our clients at CAA Brand Management.

What projects from the past year highlight the creative approach CAA takes to extending its brands?
A good example is our latest work with Ford. It’s a privilege to work with such an iconic brand, and hugely rewarding to put creative thought into new ways to engage younger fans… From toys with LEGO and apparel at PacSun to collaborations with Percival…

Ford has amazing heritage to inspire a consumer products program and this is only the beginning.. We’re building several style guides and trend reports to do even more next year. Plus, we’re about to launch an exciting project with Porsche – something no other automotive brand has ever done… We can’t wait to share that.

Nicely teased! You mention style guides… What does an effective one need to do these days?
In essence, it must be the vehicle from brand to product. It needs to inspire and guide, but always have the brand’s DNA translated into the specific category. We love adding in easter eggs of excitement for true fans, and helping inspire news ways of translating the brand into product.

What’s the key to successful creative collaborations between CAA Brand Management and its clients?
I always feel it comes down to the strength of the partnerships we build. Our goal is to feel like we’re part of our client’s team, supporting their vision and understanding what great creative execution means to them. Once we have that as our foundation, it’s about building out the narrative so that any extensions or collaborations feel like a natural part of their story.

I understand CAA Brand Management launched consultancy services this year. Tell me about that…
We continue to provide bespoke, dedicated creative services to clients – but we’re expanding! We’re taking on opportunities that bring our creative, trend and insight services to a wider client base. What’s key about our expertise is how we blend rich data with a uniquely CAA Brand Management lens… Offering thought-provoking creative, targeted for licensing. Brands have access to so much info about markets and consumers now – but it’s how we make sense of it and translate it into something actionable for licensing that’s invaluable.

Is the licensing industry in a good place creatively right now?
I think we’re seeing the evolution of licensing at the moment. Today’s consumers increasingly expect brands to make society better. This has led to a dramatic transformation in the wider industry. The business is moving away from disposable, logo-slapped products to creating more purpose-driven products that can fit into our lives.

Last question! What fuels your creativity?
Apart from the obvious – what’s happening in culture, from movies to the latest exhibition – it really comes from working with such an inspirational team. They come from creatively rich backgrounds, from tailors to fine artists, bringing their experiences from different countries and all walks of life. This mix allows us to see everything from a broad range of perspectives.

We all question the work and the process, challenging ourselves and each other to craft the result into the best it can be. The mix of brands we work across is also amazing inspiration – from Playboy to Bugatti, Minecraft to Bob Marley… The variety and calibre of the brands we work with means there is always something new to create.