Anthony Yell: Leading Razorfish Creative with Tech & Brand Purpose

Learn why I asked Razorfish Chief Creative Officer, Anthony Yell, for a Vulcan mind meld.

He’s not your typical CCO. With a reverence — and professional envy — for drummers who keep things moving, he is a digital marketer who dances to a different beat: Anthony credits a passion for Legos (!), emblematic of analog games, as an antidote to screen time and keeping him balanced in his work at the digital-first shop.

As a multi-Cannes Lion and Clio winner, it must be working. But his understanding and application of cutting-edge digital strategies and tech applied to creative and communication, like Meta’s new Orion glasses and neural interfaces, has also made him a sought-after panelist at conferences from SXSW to AdobeMax.

This S2 / Epi 30 of Insider Interviews is one of the most info and insights packed, ever. Anthony even shared the crib notes on the four waves of the future of tech from his recent session with Chris Duffey, called: “Future You; Future Proof — a Creative Playbook for the Next Decade.” 

Part of that future-proofing for brands, per Anthony, and the key to thriving, is having a marriage of performance with brand purpose. It’s the mantra of the new Razorfish. New, because, as Anthony explains, the agency has kept pace with change and evolved its own purpose — but finding that what’s old can be new again, too, resurrecting its original 1995 name brand. And now he ensures that “creativity isn’t confined to a single department” but is the lifeblood that flows through every role and responsibility.

“Brand purpose isn’t just about feeling good. It’s about creating meaningful connections with consumers that drive real business results.”

 

Additional key points worth hearing from the Chief Creative Officer’s mouth:

• While he adopts new tech as helpful tools at every turn, Anthony also explains how fostering a culture of collaborative creativity can lead to groundbreaking campaigns and strategies…and what the next generation of career-minded creatives will need to do to thrive.

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