Ryan McManus: The surfer riding the New Wave of Creatives

It's one year next month since Ryan McManus was announced as VML UK's next chief creative officer (CCO) - the first to take that role since the agency's creation from the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson.

Before arriving at Sea Containers House, he'd enjoyed a peripatetic life - a South African who had worked in cities including Amsterdam, Paris, London, as well as his native Cape Town, before returning to London from VML New York, where he was also CCO.

He's also enjoyed a career outside of advertising too with his involvement in the launch of a NGO called Join the Pipe in Amsterdam that seeks to provide everyone worldwide with clean and safe drinking water. It achieves this by laying water pipes, installing taps and selling reusable water bottles.

McManus also had his own film production company whilst working at Serviceplan in Munich, and made a documentary about climate change in the island of Tuvalu in the South Pacific, which was sold to PBS in the States. He eventually met Jason Xenopoulos with whom he'd founded Native, an agency which was eventually sold to VML.

It's not the 'traditional' career path (if such a thing exists) for an agency CCO, and this is also reflected in much of the work that the agency now creates - not what he hopes it to do in the future.

For example, this recent Guinness ad gave football fans in Ireland the chance to #TransferThatPint and make their own switch by swapping their out-of-shape glassware ahead of transfer deadline. It also gave them a chance of winning a limited-edition Guinness x Waterford crystal pint glass.

Equally, this non-traditional ad for Tanqueray No. TEN explored the future of socialising by pushing the boundaries of personalisation with its experiment ‘The Cocktail of Dreams’.

Using electroencephalogram (EEG) technology the scientific experiment transferred brainwaves into bespoke cocktails.

Using EEG headsets, creative people were exposed to different scents (such as vanilla, mint, spices, and herbal tones) and sounds in an awake and in a relaxation state while their brainwaves were analysed into data Using Diageo’s FlavorPrint technology, Tanqueray No. TEN’s global Tastemakers - a trio of award-winning bartenders - translated these brainwave data-driven flavour profiles to begin crafting one-of-a-kind cocktails.

He has just represented the VML network this year at D&AD, collecting 55 awards overall, including two yellow Pencils.

With a couple of interesting advertising case studies already under his belt - and more in the pipeline - we sat down with McManus to find out what makes his creative juices flow.

Creative Salon: What does creativity mean to you? How would you define it?

Ryan McManus: Creativity is everything. It’s not just about advertising—it’s a way of looking at the world. It’s a human condition, not a department or a job title. I see it in my daughters all the time—how they approach climbing a tree differently or how they draw. It’s in all of us; we just need to nurture it.

CS: Do you think creativity gets conditioned out of us?

RM: Absolutely. Society puts us into structures that strip creativity away. But I believe it’s a skill that can be reawakened. Entrepreneurs, for example, are inherently creative—they build something from nothing. Creativity is problem-solving, and it exists in every industry, not just in advertising.

CS: When you entered the creative industries, did you have a specific mission or vision?

RM: Being from South Africa, where there are so many social challenges, I always believed creativity could be a force for good. There’s a saying: “The briefs are on the streets.” I know “purpose” has become a bit of a loaded term, but I still think we shouldn’t stop trying to make the world better. It doesn’t always have to be about saving the world—it can be as simple as creating an app that improves an experience or making something that changes behavior. Good creativity should add value, not just interrupt people’s time.

CS: Have there been any mentors or pivotal moments that shaped your approach to creativity?

RM: Lorenzo de Rita (founder of Join the Pipe and head of research at The Soon Institute) was a big influence—he describes himself as a poet stuck in advertising. He taught me to go backward into strategy before moving forward into creativity. Strategy and creative thinking should be seamlessly connected. Jason Xenopoulos, my partner at Native (which we sold to VML), was another major influence. He’s a filmmaker as well as a creative leader, and our collaboration was incredibly inspiring.

CS: What’s the piece of work you’re most proud of?

RM: That’s like choosing a favorite child! Honestly, my next piece of work is always the one I’m most excited about. Every finished project has things I’d tweak if I had more time.

CS: What excites you about the industry right now?

RM: The people. Collaborating with brilliant minds is always inspiring. That, and the fact that the industry is in a state of flux—AI, economic downturns, political upheaval. Chaos breeds opportunity. A great idea can transcend all of that, just like a song that people organically fall in love with.

CS: How big is your team at VML UK?

RM: Across different capabilities—social, data, CX, sports and entertainment—it’s around 1,000 people. It’s a diverse, dynamic group.

CS: What can the industry do to raise its creative standards?

RM: We need to push back against formulas. Too often, creativity is confined to “filling media spaces.” Instead, it should be about rethinking what those spaces even are. We need to be solving bigger business problems rather than just coloring within the lines. AI is going to create efficiencies, but it won’t replace creativity—it’s just another shift, like the internet was.

CS: What does good creative leadership mean to you?

RM: For me, it’s about being in the trenches, not just managing from above. I love working alongside teams, helping kick doors open for them, and pushing ideas to be the best they can be. A good leader inspires people to get on the rocket ship and commit fully to the journey. No passengers—everyone has a role in making something great.

CS: What are the biggest challenges facing creative leaders today?

RM: A lack of belief in creativity. When economic pressures rise, creativity is often suppressed, even though it’s the key to growth. Another challenge is attracting and nurturing young talent. The industry has a bad habit of constantly predicting its own demise—when the internet arrived, people said TV ads were dead. Yet, we’re still here, still evolving. We need to do a better job of getting people excited about the possibilities of this industry.

CS: If advertising were suddenly banned, what would you do?

RM: I’d still be making things—films, music, creative projects. Probably something connected to surfing.

CS: Do you still do creative work outside your day job?

RM: I used to have side projects—designing skateboard decks, fashion concepts. Right now, my focus is fully on VML. My main creative outlet is surfing—it’s a form of meditation for me. That, and raising my three daughters, who constantly inspire me with how they see the world.

CS Finally, what’s your take on the future of creativity in advertising?

RM: Creativity is at its best when it’s pushing boundaries. The future isn’t about replicating the past but about reimagining how we connect with people. AI, new media spaces, shifting consumer behaviors—all of it presents an opportunity. The industry’s job isn’t to preserve what worked before, but to shape what comes next.