Burson · 16 hours ago
Senior Creative (AD Level) - Sports & Pop Culture
San Francisco, California, United States
Full-time
Hybrid
Senior Level
$60K/yr - $140K/yr
5+ years expBurson is a global communications leader focused on creating value for clients through reputation. They are seeking a Senior Creative who is passionate about sports and culture, responsible for developing integrated, earned-first campaigns that resonate with fans and drive engagement.
Brand MarketingConsultingContentMarketingPublic Relations
Responsibilities
Build big, integrated, earned first ideas
Create campaign platforms, activations and content series that connect sport and culture—on field, in arena and online—with visuals and narratives that feel native to fans and newsworthy to editors
Drive stories in earned and social
Start with the question: what’s the headline, what’s the clip, what’s the moment people will share? Develop ideas designed to travel through PR, creators, fan pages and social feeds, not just paid media
Own the story and the look
Define the creative world for our clients: tone of voice, visual language, references, and how it flexes across social, digital, PR, broadcast, OOH and experiential. You know what will actually move fans, not just tick boxes
Trendjack with taste
Spot cultural tensions, narratives and live moments in sport and wider culture where brands can genuinely show up—and turn them into sharp, timely concepts and executions
Pitch like you mean it
Sell ideas in a way that gets clients hyped: sharp decks, strong rationale, clear links to fandom, culture and earned impact. You can talk kit culture, collabs, drops and highlight reels with equal confidence
Ship with taste and precision
Drive work from sketch to launch—across film, design, social and experiential—protecting the idea, the craft and the details (copy, visuals, rights, legal) all the way through
Chase work that wins
Lead at least two standout, award‑worthy projects end‑to‑end, turning raw fan insight and cultural tension into ideas that blow up in culture and land on juries’ shortlists
Be the in-house sport & culture brain
Bring a deep understanding of US sports, global soccer and the way fans actually behave—on social, in group chats, in bars, at games. You’re the one who knows what’s next, not just what’s now
Live the feeds
Constantly mine platforms like Versus, Hypebeast, Complex, Bleacher Report, Reddit, TikTok and IG fan pages for signals, storylines and opportunities for brands to plug into
Act as a key creative lead on one or more accounts, plugged into client challenges, fan behavior and the sport and culture landscape—helping shape briefs, not just answer them
Bring the same energy to pitches and organic growth that you bring to campaigns: spot opportunities, jump on them, and help win new work with ideas that feel right for fans and right for the brand
Lead initiatives that level up the agency’s creative reputation—sharing references, pushing craft, and championing ideas that belong in culture, not just in decks
Bring energy, taste and a positive, no ego attitude that lifts teammates, collaborators and clients. You make the work better and the process more fun
Manage and mentor junior creatives and freelancers, giving clear direction and useful feedback. Work tightly with strategy, account and production to land joined up, earned ready, impossible to ignore ideas
Qualification
Required
5+ years in the game
Experience in a creative role at an agency or in-house, with a portfolio that proves you can think and execute at a high level across both art direction and copy
A deep, demonstrable obsession with the intersection of sport, entertainment and culture
Work that shows you can do both: Visual craft: design, photography direction, film, social/digital experiences. Word craft: headlines, scripts, social content, concept lines and platform thinking
Examples of ideas built to earn—PR stunts, cultural activations, social moments, partnerships or drops that generated real coverage, conversation and fan engagement
Based on the US West Coast or Mountain Time, or willing to work primarily to those hours to stay in sync with the team and clients
Proven ability to develop sophisticated, strategic, and innovative concepts that not only solve complex business challenges but specifically leverage and reflect the dynamic relationship between sports and wider pop culture trends
Excellent presentation, communication, and interpersonal skills, capable of articulating a creative vision to diverse audiences
Experience guiding projects through all phases of production, understanding the nuances of visual and written content creation
A collaborative spirit with the ability to work effectively across disciplines and inspire those around you
Benefits
Professional development opportunities
Mentorship programs with industry leaders
A vibrant and inclusive company culture fostering collaboration and innovation
Packages designed to reward and retain top talent
Company
Burson
Burson offers public relations, media relations, crisis management, and digital communications services for organizations.
5001-10000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Grant Toups
Global Chief Digital & Intelligence Officer
Tara Singh
Managing Director Public Policy
Recent News
Media Post
2025-11-11
Hotwire Global
2025-11-07
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