About the Position

Associate Creative Director (Art)

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

About the Company

VML, part of WPP, is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and human-first, award-winning work for blue-chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. The agency is recognized by the Forrester Wave™ Reports, as a Leader among Marketing Creative and Content Service Providers, Commerce Services, Global Digital Experience Services, Global Marketing Services, and, most recently, Marketing Measurement & Optimization.

About the Role

VML is seeking an Associate Creative Director of Art (+ ACD, Copy partner) who is ready to do the best work of their career and drive meaningful impact. In this role, you will shape the visual and conceptual vision for high-profile campaigns, translating strategic insights into compelling design and art direction. You will elevate the conceptual craft of the agency, build trusted relationships with clients, and ensure our visual storytelling connects authentically with audiences to drive measurable business outcomes.

Responsibilities

Lead the translation of strategic direction into award-winning visual concepts and campaigns across broadcast, digital, social, and owned properties.
Partner seamlessly with an ACD of Copy, as well as strategy and account leads, to develop, refine, and elevate cohesive creative concepts.
Direct campaign asset creation from a visual perspective, overseeing art direction, design, photography, illustration, and video shoot production.
Champion the client's brand identity and visual guidelines, ensuring all creative output drives business impact and resonates with the target audience.
Collaborate closely with production, technology, and account teams to manage the seamless delivery of online and offline assets.
Present visual narratives and design concepts confidently in client pitches, building trusted relationships with key stakeholders.
Foster a culture of collaboration, inclusivity, and continuous innovation, leading by example through the quality of your work and your approach to problem-solving.

Requirements

Experience: 8+ years of experience as an Art Director or visual creative lead within an advertising agency or similar environment, with a proven track record of leading high-profile campaigns.
Skills:
- Conceptual thinking
- Strategic problem-solving
- Visual storytelling
- Design principles
- Typography
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Figma
Attributes:
- Outstanding presentation skills
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
- Collaborative and inclusive leadership style

We Offer

Compensation: $90,000 - $140,000 CAD per year
Work Environment: Hybrid approach with teams in the office an average of four days a week.
Company Culture: VML fosters a culture of respect, creativity, collaboration, and connection.

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions, and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity, and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.

VML is a WPP Agency. For more information, please visit our website, and follow VML on our social channels via Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

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Associate Creative Director (Art)

Job description