This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Daniel Walton, a 43-year-old creative strategist for Facebook’s Creative Shop based in Singapore. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I’ve wanted to work in advertising since I was a teenager. When I was 13, my aunt, who worked for an advertising company, said, “You like design, you should be an art director.” She explained that it involved drinking coffee, coming up with ideas, and going on photo shoots. I was like, “Wow. That sounds amazing.”
I studied graphic design and did everything I could to get an internship at an ad agency. I’d leave direct mailing pieces in the foyers of multinational agencies to try to catch the attention of creative directors and land an internship.
During my final year of university, I worked as an unpaid intern at McCann-Erickson in New Zealand.
From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., I’d split my time between college and the advertising agency
In the evenings and on weekends, I’d work as a bartender, waiter, or barista to earn some money. I was working long hours, but I felt lucky to be working at such a big agency.
During my internship, I put forward an idea for a Coca-Cola TV ad. The client loved it, and they even asked me to act in it because they liked my long-haired, dishevelled look.
I suddenly was getting a check for starring in the ad, and I thought, “This is pretty good.”
After I graduated in 2002, I got a full-time job with McCann-Erickson
Over the next three years, I advanced to junior art director, and then I was headhunted to join Blue Hat Advertising. The money was twice the amount I was getting at McCann.
I then moved to London to freelance for ad agencies before I returned to Sydney in 2008 and got a job at BMF. They had some amazing projects and people, but when you’re working 80 hours a week, all parts of your life take a dive.
I had a trip planned to go to the Himalayas, but a beer ad shoot scheduled for the same date forced me to cancel my trip. I left the company a few months later.
I had an early midlife crisis
I quit my job, left my apartment, and bought a one-way ticket to the Himalayas. It started a tradition that I still follow today. Every birthday, I do something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m now a huge advocate for work-life balance.
For the next two years, I traveled around the Himalayas and worked with one of my former colleagues in Africa before returning to New Zealand.
In February 2012, I began working at the social media agency Contagion as a deputy creative director. Following a move in 2015 to Clemenger BBDO in Sydney, where I worked for 18 months, I decided to go traveling again.
I loved the people, but I worked crazy long hours, so I wanted to take another break, which some might call a micro-retirement.
I was next encouraged to apply at Meta
My plan was to take six months off and travel around South America. I was just about to leave Sydney when an old boss, now working as a creative strategist at Meta, took me out to lunch.
He said I should apply for a creative strategist role. I explained I was about to go traveling, but he said that was fine, as it’d take me about six months to get the job.
While traveling, I had nine interviews with various staff members. I was nervously waiting for my final interview on the last day of my trip when I received a call from HR stating that no further interview was necessary.
I was hired at Meta in May 2017
I would be based in Sydney, but I had to attend a boot camp at the campus in SF. I was given an airplane ticket to San Francisco and watched Zuckerberg do a Q&A session right in front of me. It was quite a shift.
I was excited because I knew it was the beginning of something quite different. It wasn’t like going to another advertising agency. I’m still at Meta now.
My role is to showcase the creative potential of various platforms, including Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Meta Quest, and Ray-Ban Meta. I show brands how they can be utilized for modern storytelling and brand building. I act more as a consultant, working closely with the brands’ creative teams to help them navigate the platform.
Everything at Meta changes so rapidly
You also don’t follow a traditional advertising promotional route. For instance, at an ad agency, you’ll move from a junior creative to a midlevel creative, up to a creative director. If you get a promotion at Meta, you could be an IC6 versus an IC5, and that doesn’t mean anything to someone outside the company.
Since I joined, AI has become an integral part of everyone’s world. Meta offers Meta AI integration and Gen AI tools in the ad creation process. I’m very excited about the road map the company has for the future rollout in this space.
I’m using AI in my role in many ways
In-house at Meta, we use the AI tool Metamate for anything from writing emails to creating presentations. It’s incredible for efficiencies, but I’m still trying not to use AI for idea generation.
AI will always be quicker than I am, but I believe there’s so much to be gained by generating an idea. Whether it’s writing copy or taking a photo, there’s a real sense of fulfilment from that. I worry it’ll be something that’ll be eroded.
I use the Meta Ray-Bans. They’re phenomenal. As they’re hands-free, I use them when riding my motorbike to make calls, get directions, or play music.
I moved to Singapore with Meta
After six years with Meta in Sydney, I applied to work in Asia as a creative strategist, and I’m now based in Singapore, working across eight markets.
My favorite part about working for Meta is that I’ve found a company where I can truly embrace my work-life balance. I could never have done my birthday tradition in traditional advertising agencies.
I had my Mad Men days, but I’ve learned to prioritize.
