In the creative industry, a shadow army stands behind some of the most successful work — moving through award shows and festivals, and at times stepping into the spotlight to speak about the campaigns they helped bring to life. These are the Creative Excellence people, but for them, winning awards is only a small part of the story.
Eric Monnet, Global Director of Creative Excellence at WPP, took the ADFEST 2026 stage to present his keynote, “Grandma Famous vs. Croisette Famous: A Clarification of Creative Excellence.”
The shadow army behind the success
Before a specific campaign takes the global stage for awards and recognition, a rigorous, behind-the-scenes infrastructure makes high-level work possible. For Eric, a creative excellence team isn’t a trophy-hunting department — it’s a strategic partner to the Chief Creative Officer, ensuring every vision is executed seamlessly across all departments.
“The chief of staff will act as a trusted advisor. We help shape strategies and prioritize initiatives,” Eric said.
First pillar: Intelligence as fuel
Eric structured his talk around four pillars — all centered on the creative product, not the awards — underscoring that the role of any creative excellence professional is to make the work better.
Creative excellence starts with intelligence, which begins by gathering data, creative reports, and research to inspire both internal teams and clients. This first pillar is about building a better understanding of the creative product before a brief is even written, according to Eric.
Second pillar: Acceleration and the wall of problems
The next pillar focuses on direct problem-solving through task forces and specific projects. Eric discussed the “wall of problems” concept — a physical or metaphorical space where every client challenge is documented so anyone in the agency can pitch in and solve it at any time.
Third pillar: Talent development
Excellence is rooted in human capital, so this pillar involves organizing creative councils, masterclasses, and specialized groups to train and elevate the people behind the work.
The final pillar: Creative reputation
Considered the last step in the cycle, this pillar categorizes awards and external recognition. This stage only occurs after the work has been inspired, accelerated, and refined through internal councils.
Remain invisible
Creative excellence professionals believe in invisibility, wherein the focus remains on the creative teams and the work itself, while the excellence team operates as the shadow army, facilitating that success.
“We do operate outside of the spotlight. The spotlight should be on the work. The spotlight should be on the creative, the spotlight should be on the executive — so that’s basically what I’m doing,” Eric concluded.
Eric’s calls on creatives to align their internal machinery with a much grander ambition. He challenges the industry to move beyond validation and focus instead on work that resonates with the world.
By the time a campaign reaches an awards show, it should already be a cultural milestone like the moon landing that survives and thrives in the real world long after the ceremony ends.
adobo Magazine is an official media partner of ADFEST 2026.
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