“You can use a bicycle to free your mind or to focus your mind.”

David Houghton is a seasoned Art Director/Writer from Toronto (and avid cyclist) who has worked on campaigns ranging from those intended to bring awareness to hard to swallow truths of domestic violence and children’s rights, to ones that provide specific solutions for industries that bore deep into the earth. While his work has brought in a trolley full of awards, it has, more importantly, hit the mark for the clients that he has worked with.

We caught up with David to talk with him about his career:

You’ve worked on some pretty big campaigns, what was one that really made a change in your career or propelled you forward?

The campaign for Kids Help Phone changed my career. We had a great client who gave us free rein to do stand-out work. My partner and I created a hard-hitting campaign that swept the award shows that year. I’m proud of the gritty art direction and also proud of the fact that I wrote the tagline ‘There’s a lot on the line.’ The campaign brought huge awareness to Kids Help Phone, which helped increase their funding. That, in turn, helped many kids across Canada who were being abused or bullied.

How did you get into Art Direction (and writing)?

I’ve drawn and written all my life. For me, one has never been more important than the other. I studied art direction and design at Ontario College of Art & Design and have also studied writing at Ryerson University.

Every creative goes through highs and lows in their career. Was there ever a moment in yours where you questioned if you made the right choice?

The only low point for me was a short period where I worked on only one account. It was a telcom account which I won’t name, and every day, I cranked out another stupid ad for another stupid phone. It quickly became hugely boring, and reminded me of the value of variety, especially for a creative person.

How would you describe your style?

The first thing I do is assess what I call the brand equities. What are the brand’s typefaces, colour palette, identity, tonality, imagery? I use those as a springboard to create the work, so everything I do is rooted in that specific brand. Some art directors impose their personal style on every client. I’d rather develop work for every client that’s a fresh take on who they are.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Living. Travel, music, food, literature, documentaries, friendships.

You’re a pretty big cyclist, and you’ve been on some pretty crazy rides, with epic highs but also a good share of lows. How do you find that these experiences contribute to your professional work?

There have been many times when I haven’t thought about advertising for days or weeks while on a cycling tour, so that allows me to come back to work recharged. On the other hand, there have also been times when I’ve gone riding specifically because it helps me percolate a problem or an idea in my mind and get to a solution. You can use a bicycle to free your mind or to focus your mind.

What was the craziest assignment that you have worked on?

I was hired as a freelancer to create a series of recruitment videos for a gold mining company. I flew with a small film crew to the United States, Peru, Argentina and Australia. The short flights were in their private Learjet. We didn’t even have a script; I just had a list of questions to ask some of the mining company’s employees on camera, then we edited it all together. For three months, I was the luckiest freelancer on the planet.

Did you ever have a project where you really pushed the envelope (to the point where you questioned if it was too risky, alienating, etc.), and it paid off?

I created a campaign for the Globe and Mail that got a huge public response. The TV ads showed people saying very polarizing things (The holocaust never happened, a woman’s place is in the kitchen, most prisons are like hotels, the homeless are lazy, etc. etc.) with great confidence, directly to camera. Only in the last few seconds did the payoff appear: Anyone can have an opinion. But is it informed?

See more of David’s work at Two Headed Creative