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Design Bridge's Cristina Tazza: AI Can Spur a Modern 'Mad Men' Moment
Rewriting the rules for an evolving landscape
Cristina Tazza is global chief strategy officer and managing director, North America, at Design Bridge and Partners. She has more than two decades of experience across the U.K. and U.S. Since joining Design Bridge in 2017 to build its U.S. strategy team, Cristina has helped shape the agency’s growth and global strategic offer.
“People assume it’s an ‘account” role,’” she says. “It’s not. It’s a problem-solving role. Not just with accounts, but across every discipline, every part of the creative process, every corner of the business. It’s not one of the three legs of the stool. It’s the nuts and bolts that hold the whole thing together.”
We spent a few minutes with Cristina to learn about her background, inspirations and reading real-world material, as opposed to industry fodder—that’s more relevant.
What would you tell your younger self if they could see you now?
“You will never know enough—and it doesn’t matter.” As a junior planner, you run the discovery. The research phase is on you. You dig and dig, convinced there’s some ceiling of knowledge you have to hit before you’re allowed an opinion. Then you realize your boss isn’t checking your homework—they’re building from it. That’s when it clicks: You don’t need to know everything. You need to find the one thing, the insight that unlocks everything else and makes the rest of it mean something. I still chase that same feeling today.
What’s the best career advice you actually followed?
Hire people to take your job. I waited almost two years to find my head of strategy in the U.S., Stef Gilmore—a role that used to be mine—because she’s better at it than I am. She’s kept that tradition going ever since. It’s not scary. It’s just smart.
What’s your favorite productivity shortcut?
Microsoft Planner. Can’t imagine a duller answer, but it delivers. My EA, Gianluca, recommended it early on, when I was driving us both crazy—to-do lists everywhere, random pings and emails, fleeting conversations. Everything was getting lost, and I was losing my mind. Now it’s all in one place: Organizing the action, tagging who’s responsible, ticking it off when it’s done. No more waking up at 3 a.m. wondering if you actually had that conversation about the urgent thing that needed to happen yesterday.
Is there a newsletter, creator or account everyone should follow?
I’m grateful to John Steel, who said he doesn’t read industry stuff because it’s not interesting. From that point on, I stopped trying to force it down. I prefer real-people stuff you’d read in the real world. It’s more relevant to what we actually do. One of my go-tos is the Acquired podcast. They go really deep into the origin stories of some of the world’s most formidable brands. The episodes are long. But you feel like you’ve read the memoir, interviewed the founder’s family and spent a weekend in the archives of a historical society.
What was the last campaign that made you think, “I wish I made that”?
The longstanding New York City Marathon campaign, “It Will Move You.” It gets me every time I see it. I’m biased as a runner myself. But I think race branding is one of the most exciting arenas in the industry. Running is booming, and these race organizations have gone from looking like neighborhood nonprofits to major sporting events. If they’re not careful, they risk losing exactly what the community has come to love them for. This race, perhaps beyond all others, is as much about the spectators as the racers. It’s an event in every sense, from those lining up at the start on the Verrazano Bridge to those cheering on 5th Avenue.
Tell us about a recent project you’re proud of.
I’ve been working with an industrial chemical company with a hugely complex portfolio that shows up differently in nearly every region globally. It took a lot of cross-studio collaboration across markets, translating science and mechanics into something bigger and clearer. I loved how the clients felt like thought partners throughout. And the same was true internally, especially with my strategy partner in London, Ben, who not only put up with the time difference but joined me on early-morning training runs around the world.
What would you be doing if you weren’t in advertising?
I’d set up a 1980’s Jane Fonda–esque step aerobics studio. Fitness has gotten so fancy. Don’t get me wrong, I partake. But it’s lost the “go for the burn” energy. I’m looking for some jazzercise in my life, and I’d bet I’m not alone.
You’ve got 2 minutes with the industry. What’s your hot take?
I used to watch Mad Men and think: what must it have been like to be there at the beginning of an industry, when the rules were still being written? These days, everyone’s bracing for what AI means for what we’re worth. But to me, this feels like a Mad Men moment all over again, minus the cigarette smoke and the unscrupulous behavior. It’s ours to write. And hopefully, wherever we’re headed, there are still martinis.
2 Minutes With is our regular interview series where we chat with creatives about their backgrounds, creative inspirations, work they admire and more. For more about 2 Minutes With, or to be considered for the series, please get in touch.
