How agencies can help ADHD creatives thrive
Dillah Zakbah, Deputy ECD at Fold7, suggests that as adland is an industry that seems to lure neurodivergent individuals, how can it best support their chaotic, curious, ever-creative brains.
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When I was young, I set out to become a lawyer. It felt like the ‘right’ thing to do.
But as I started to understand how my ADHD shaped me, I realised I was forcing myself into a world where I couldn’t thrive. I just wasn’t wired for repetition and regulation. I was wired for ideas, spontaneity and creativity.
In my time in the industry, I’ve noticed a pattern: brainstorming sessions buzzing with ideas from folks who can’t sit still; creatives who forget what day it is but remember the perfect tagline from a 1997 laundry liquid ad; and planners who hyperfocus on insights with the intensity of a Netflix true crime documentary detective.
What would it look like to design a pitch process that actually works with ADHD thinking, not against it?
The data confirms there is a fascinating overlap between neurodivergence and advertising.
A recent Go Amplify UK study found that 38 per cent of marketing professionals identify with ADHD traits, compared to just three to four per cent of the general population. It also found that people with ADHD stand out in the industry for their creativity and multitasking skills, and flourish in fast-paced environments with tight deadlines.
Above: Go Amplify research found that 38 per cent of the marketing professionals surveyed had been diagnosed with ADHD, with 77 per cent reporting four or more symptoms.
So, how can agencies set up supportive working environments that get the best out of brains that run differently? And what would it look like to design a pitch process that actually works with ADHD thinking, not against it?
Sometimes, my brain goes from brainstorming a car brief to wondering how many times a moth flaps its wings per minute.
Tackling this head-on could help neurodivergent creatives fly.
What can the industry do?
If you’re a creative leader:
- Design processes that allow for different work styles and create the psychological safety for everyone to thrive creatively.
- Rethink what productivity looks like. Brilliance can come in sprints, not just steady streams. Rewards that celebrate small milestones can go a long way.
- Create space for silence and deep-focus zones. I learnt the hard way that my choice of ’90s hip hop is great for me, but not for some of my team when they’re trying to think. I now try not to blast Notorious B.I.G. out loud, especially when someone’s deep in ideation mode.
Above: Distraction, creativity, hyperfocus and impulsivity were the four main characteristics identified by marketers surveyed by Go Amplify.
If you have ADHD traits:
- Advocate for what you need at work: more time, less micromanagement and fewer meetings. Often, the most helpful thing you can do is let your team know how to support you, whether that’s shifting timelines or asking for a second pair of eyes.
- Lean into your unique abilities. People often ask me, “How do you have time for all the stuff you do, your side projects and random obsessions?” When I’m excited about something, I have to do it. I’ve learned to stop fighting that and start using it to my advantage. Sometimes, my brain goes from brainstorming a car brief to wondering how many times a moth flaps its wings per minute, but that’s the kind of fact that makes its way into a killer idea someday.
- Build structure around chaos. I use an app called Focus Noodles to stop me from picking up my phone and falling into a TikTok rabbit hole. I set alarms for key milestones, and I have what I call my “emotional support hairband” wrapped around my wrist. It’s something I fidget with when my brain’s doing 500 mph.
- I end each day by reflecting on one thought my brain had that day and taking an action from it. That habit alone has helped me learn everything from how cedarwood is nature’s mothball to the Japanese word kuchisabishii, meaning “lonely mouth wanting to eat out of boredom”.
ADHD creatives see the world differently and feel things more deeply, and, when channelled right, it can lead to ideas that connect with people on a visceral level. Where others get overwhelmed by multi-project madness, people with ADHD can monetise this mental chaos. We don’t just survive last-minute pitch changes; we thrive in them.
Don’t say to your boss, “I missed the deadline because I was emotionally invested in a dog video”.
Sure, maybe you might forget where you placed that cup of coffee this morning, your client’s name or even your password. You might feel overwhelmed by admin and long-term planning, or think you have three hours for a task when you only have one. But you also remembered how to sell an idea that mic-dropped hard.
While neurodivergence shouldn’t be a free pass out of responsibilities, it should be a valid reason for agencies to create ways of working that set everyone up to succeed. Just maybe don’t say to your boss, “I missed the deadline because I was emotionally invested in a dog video,” even if it’s true.
So, isn’t it time we stop asking neurodivergent talent to adjust and start designing systems that allow them to thrive?
