Julia Rutherford

Rutherford has won awards from Cannes, Clio, One Show, Lynx and Loeries, and has also worked on some of South Africa's most loved brands, including Nando's, as well as multi-national accounts such as Kellogg's, Unilever and Nestle.

About Julia Rutherford

Julia Rutherford has 15 years' experience as an advertising creative, with a background in copywriting. She has worked locally and abroad, with her more recent brand portfolio being creative director of BMW, and certain units of Vodacom and Investec. She joined agency Rogue in August 2014 to head up the creative department. She is the creative lead on the Barclays Africa, Vega School, Pepperdew and Liberty accounts.

Q: What is your main business challenge?
A: Staying true to the agency collective; clients, the brand strategy, a young creative's hopes and dreams, and my own targets.

Q: What is your core strategy?
A: Good work is the horse before the cart of happiness.

Q: Most important attribute needed to do your job?
A: Generosity - with time, with ideas, with patience.

Q: The biggest trend to note in your industry?
A: The industry is becoming more dynamic, fluid, resistant to hyperbole. There's more intelligence, strategic thought and sensitive creativity coming through, not less as the anti-advertising crowd would have us believe. Exciting times.

Q: How will you make an impact?
A: By fiercely defending our profession to the outside world. One day, an unsuspecting average Joe will need a place for their dysfunctional children. Let's keep the doors open. And the Moet on ice.

Q: What inspires you?
A: Being surprised.

Q: How do you inspire others?
A: Awareness of what uniquely inspires people, and then dangling it like the metal carrot it is.

Q: What are you currently reading for work?
A: 'Bird by Bird' by Anne Lamott.

Q: Your life philosophy?
A: Do not go gentle into that good night.

Q: At the top of my 'bucket list' is...
A: Experiencing the Northern Lights with my daughter.