Roanna Williams: Kicking old-fashioned to the curb in the ad world

Creativity and imagination, so the saying goes (although no one knows exactly where it came from), are signs of intelligence having fun. That aptly sums up the life and work of Roanna Williams.

She paints and she has held exhibitions of her work. She’s a mother to four daughters – and they have one more reason to be proud of her after her appointment as chief creative officer of one of the bigger ad agency groups in the country.

“I love what I’m doing. I love bringing together the different creative disciplines in one whole to make a great campaign. And I love working with young, creative people.”

She’s stepping into “big shoes” at the #Network BBDO group, whose creative dynamo, Mike Schalit, is a legend in local advertising and well-known on the global stage, too.

He has given her “free reign”, but at the same time, his support in an industry which is still characterised by sexism, not to mention racism.

“I have been there. The times when you can’t get your voice heard because [the alpha male] is shouting.”

It’s a pretty similar experience for black people in the ad business, which is “pretty much a boys’ club” – and she means white boys’ club.

It’s a pity, says Williams, that so many white people still want to “isolate” themselves from reality and, in particular, continue to deny that they are privileged.

That deprives them of the opportunities she has had, she says, to “enrich” her life through interactions with “really creative, young black people”.

Roanna Williams.

“I am inspired by them, as I am by all people. You should have an open mind and, if you do, you will realise that everyone has a story and you can learn from them.”

Closed minds and closed shops are also a toxic environment for fresh ideas and, particularly when “everybody agrees with everyone else”, then you end up “in a sea of the same ideas.”

It hasn’t always been an easy journey for Williams, whose tertiary education was in graphic design, starting off her career as an intern with the Hunt Lascaris agency which was, she says, “a massive experience” because, at the time, Hunts was one of the top shops in the country when it came to creative work.

There came a time, though, when she left it all behind to start a family.

So, is it possible to “have it all” – career, kids, marriage – and have a great, balanced life?

“No,” she says, “no matter what they tell you, you cannot balance it all.”

Raising her four girls meant a decision to drop out of the corporate rat race for a while and work from home … something which was immensely satisfying, she adds.

“But, honestly, if you are to be an inspiration and a role model to your children, you first have to be comfortable and settled as a person yourself. If you feel you’re surrendering part of yourself, no one wins.”

She decided to get back into the mainstream, where she could do the work which would “really make a difference”. The sort of work which would make her daughters proud.

One such campaign was done earlier this year (with Black River FC agency) for People Opposing Women Abuse and called RSA (The Republic of Sexual Abuse) … a gut-wrenching look at how women and children are abused across all races and socioeconomic groups.

One of the attributes of a successful woman, or any creative, in this tough, rip-you-apart-if-you-let-it industry is self-confidence, says Williams.

“Creative people are not used to having to defend their concepts and it can be tough in a pitch meeting when everyone seems to be finding fault.”

Self-confidence, though, develops with time, helped by success and, increasingly, by bosses who realise the old ways are increasingly becoming anathema in the 21st century.

One of the reasons for the challenges to the old ways is technology.

“Anyone with Wi-Fi can now be creative and share that creative imagination across the world. The internet has given people a chance to create.

“And we are seeing new, talented people emerging who are producing content which is different, but which is real and authentic and not recycled.”

American cosmologist Carl Sagan once said: “Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.”

Imagination is what continues to fuel the creative journey of Roanna Williams.

– brendans@citizen.co.za

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