Tara McKenty Doesn't "Think We Need A Strict Definition Of Creativity"

Tara McKenty is AKQA AUNZ 's chief creative officer. She brings over 18 years of creative industry experience across the APAC region, including a decade at Google, where she spent the past five years as the creative head for Brand Studio APAC Google’s internal creative team. Her work has been celebrated globally, earning awards at all major festivals, including a coveted Gold for Creative Innovation at Cannes Lions.

A thought leader in the local and international creative community, Tara has served on high-profile juries such as the Cannes Lions Innovation Jury. She is also the co-founder of D&AD RARE, a global initiative supporting underrepresented groups thriving within the creative industries.

Person

Like many creatives and people in our industry, I’m severely ADHD, and recently diagnosed. There's often debate around diagnoses, but for me, it’s clear. Our work suits it: every project is different, with a new problem to solve creatively, often on a weekly basis.

It’s the perfect environment for people with that kind of intensity and hyperfocus.

When I latch onto a great idea I love, I can't let it go -- I pursue it relentlessly. That’s one of my strengths in commercial creativity. I don’t give up on ideas I believe are good or great. That persistence is what sets some people apart.

Some of the best creatives have that innate hustle and relentless passion. Ultimately, I believe what drives creative success is optimism -- the belief that what you’re pursuing is possible. The trait that supports that is relentless optimism in any creative pursuit. When there are multiple forces trying to kill an idea since conception, a creative’s role is to keep it alive.

Product

I’ve been thinking about what actually makes something creative. It’s a tricky question because creativity shows up so differently depending on the context. You can’t really compare a film to a product launch -- they’re totally different categories. What works as creative in one space might not even make sense in another.

That’s why I don’t think we need a strict definition of creativity. At its core, I believe creativity is just an idea that either makes you feel something or adds value. And that value could be anything – a feeling, a laugh, or even a really smart solution. Like Apple integrating hearing tests into AirPods. It’s subtle, but incredibly creative. They took existing behaviour and added something meaningful to it. Very different from, say, a Baz Luhrmann set design, but both are very creative in their own right.

Where I think creativity really hits another level in advertising is when it shows up in places it traditionally doesn’t belong, like a platform or a product. That’s when we reach what I’d call creative Nirvana. It’s rare, but when an agency idea becomes something bigger, something that lives beyond the ad world -- it’s amazing.

That kind of work sets the bar. It creates a ripple effect where other creators, even without big budgets or backing, feel inspired to push further. That’s what great creativity can do -- it pioneers. And that’s a beautiful thing.

Process

“I love process,” said no creative ever.

The truth is every creative has their own way of working -- and they need space to do that. But I also believe that great ideas can come from anywhere. Sometimes the spark doesn’t even start with the creative team -- it could come from a strategist, an account lead, or someone closer to the client’s world. If we only define creativity as something that comes from the creative department, we’re missing out on valuable perspectives.

In past roles, I’ve run sprint-based models, but I’ve also developed and refined a process I call Create & Makes. It’s a sprint model that takes an idea to a physical prototype. You work directly with the client to surface what I call a “headache” -- a business problem that’s nagging them. It’s not necessarily a big-picture, consultancy-level issue, but it’s real, it’s pressing, and it needs attention. Those kinds of problems are perfect for this process, because it’s hands-on and collaborative.

For day-to-day work, I have my own (unofficial) strategies. I try to get my creatives excited about every brief. There’s always something you can learn, or a way to elevate it. Maybe you can finally work with a photographer you admire.

It all comes back to optimism. That’s kind of the theme for me. I try to energise my team by reminding them: every brief is an opportunity. Whether or not they take it on is up to them, but I believe energy creates energy. That’s what keeps the creative process alive, even if it doesn’t look like a traditional “process”.

Press

The root of my creativity probably goes back to where I grew up -- Ngunguru, a small coastal town in New Zealand. The name translates to “the place of moaning and groaning,” based on a Māori legend. The story goes that a neighbouring tribe tried to invade while the local warriors were away at war. They were led to a tapu spring, drank from it, were poisoned, and ultimately became too weak to fight. My mum loved that story, and it really stuck with me.

Growing up there, it was incredibly quiet -- one general store, one fish and chip shop, and not much else. I spent most of my time alone, since my older brothers weren’t that interested in playing with me. So, it was just me and my imagination.

Now, as a parent of two young kids, I’ve been diving into how we best educate children, and modern research keeps pointing back to the power of play. When city kids were hanging out at malls or skateparks, I was climbing sand dunes and digging out huhu grubs. Because of where we lived, my mum had to drive us everywhere, so I spent a lot of time isolated -- and that meant even more time for imaginative play.

Looking back, I think that long stretch of boredom and creativity really shaped how my brain works, and maybe even the speed it works at. I’d say a big part of my creative skillset came from that environment. It wasn’t planned, but it was well-practiced.