Who Decides What Great Advertising Is? Kevin Swanepoel from The One Club

In this episode of Technically Creative, we sit down with Kevin Swanepoel — CEO of The One Club for Creativity and steward of The One Show — to talk about how creative standards are defined in an industry that is constantly reinventing itself. Advertising produces an enormous amount of work every year. Campaigns, films, brand activations, social content, AI experiments. In a world where more creative work is being made than ever before, the question becomes: how do you decide what actually matters? For decades, The One Show has been one of the places where those decisions get made. Known for its emphasis on craft and creative excellence, it has helped define the standards of American advertising while supporting the global creative community through education, mentorship, and initiatives like Creative Week in New York. Kevin shares how The One Club balances celebrating great work with nurturing the next generation of creatives, why awards still play a crucial role in creative culture, and how the organization has expanded its global reach while staying rooted in craft. Orlando and Kevin explore: • How creative awards shape the culture of an industry • Why craft still matters in a world of infinite content • The role of education and mentorship in creative careers • How Creative Week brings the industry together • The challenge of curating great work in the age of AI • Why celebrating creativity is still essential for the future of advertising It’s a thoughtful and often funny conversation about taste, standards, and the responsibility of celebrating great work — at a moment when the creative industries are evolving faster than ever.