Our Five Favorite Podcasts for Creative Professionals

A client chooses the less disruptive and exciting option.

Creative blocks form from the endless pace of the business.

Imposter syndrome creeps in.

These are probably familiar experiences to you if you've been in advertising for some time. There's also a vast community of creative professionals with stories and advice to share to defeat them!

The easiest way to learn from these folks is through their podcasts. So, we decided to list our five favorite shows for creatives, chosen for their unique and educational angles on the industry.

Whether you're trying to solve a career problem or just want to immerse yourself in advertising, these podcasts will hit the spot.

STUFF FROM THE LOFT

In Stuff from the Loft, Dave Dye, Partner at Thingy Creative & Design, talks to creative talent of all ages who have mastered their craft.

Topics include how seemingly "uncool" places can produce excellent work, the anatomy of bad work, good work, bad agencies, and good agencies, and the politics of the industry.

Stuff from the Loft's archive is brimming with episodes that leave listeners with a broader, more nuanced understanding of advertising as a practice and an industry.

WITCHA BLACK ADS

Witcha Black Ads talks about the advertising and marketing industries from Black creatives' perspectives with hosts Janelle Wallace, a Strategy Director, and Braunsy Brooks, a Global Marketing Solutions Lead in the tech space. The two friends discuss the latest influential moves in pop culture, the state of the industry for Black creatives, and the professionals and brands putting in the work to make great ads.

With over 40 episodes available, there's a depth of content covering an array of topics, including student athletes at HBCUs getting into the Name, Image, and Likeness game, "disruptor" brands, collaborations, and more.

BEHIND THE BILLBOARD

OOH (out-of-home) ads are some of the most fun projects creative professionals get to work on. Behind the Billboard looks at what goes into creating an award-winning OOH campaign.

Each episode highlights one campaign and asks the people behind it about everything from the typography and photography to what went right and wrong behind the scenes.

Running through decades of billboards of not only products but also concerts, films, fine art, and the like, this is a show for those interested in ad history as much as it is for those looking to improve their ability.

TAGLINE

Unlike the other shows, Tagline explores each campaign it highlights through interviews with every person who worked on it, capturing the ad from the perspectives of all creative disciplines.

It’s a novel approach that Adweek was eager to acknowledge when it presented Tagline with a Marketing Podcast of the Year 2021 award.

THE IMPOSTEROUS

The Imposterous is a show about imposter syndrome in creative professionals. Imposter syndrome affects people at all levels, from Chief Marketing or Creative Officers to those at the beginning of their advertising careers.

Some folks featured on the show have found ways to minimize its influence on their professional lives; others have accepted it and harnessed it to improve their work. All agree that imposter syndrome is unlikely to completely disappear, but share why that is OK.

This is a good listen on mental health awareness in the profession.

THE PECULIARITY OF PRODUCTIVITY IN ADVERTISING

Stepping away from the work is part of being productive in advertising. A meaningful use of that time is listening to your peers. These shows have helped creatives understand client perspectives with more clarity, gain knowledge about campaigns and creativity dating back decades, care for their mental health, and ultimately become more effective and satisfied in their careers.

We hope you find something beneficial in what they share!

Warm regards,
Elysian

‍