Murray Bell on making work that matters

From exhibiting Banksy in 2003 to creating a youth football tournament with Lionel Messi, Murray Bell’s career has taken him in unexpected directions. We caught up with the creative director to talk instinct and ideas that have shaped his approach to work.

When you look back in your career, what do you think were the big turning points or experiences?

Hosting my first exhibition with Banksy back in 2003 was a good place to start. Creating The Panic Office, the Radiohead experience, with Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke was a steep learning curve that I loved. It changed how I thought about audiences, from people you talk at to people you talk with. Taking up the offer to sell my stake in Semi Permanent to one of the partners was a disaster, ha. But disasters have a way of rearranging the furniture. I had to start from scratch and spend a lot of time in the US. That led to becoming the founding Creative and Event Director of the Messi Cup, and to serving as a Creative Director for the FIFA World Cup, designing all of Coca-Cola's fan and stadium pavilions. Now I'm just enjoying what's on the horizon. I've realised there's almost nothing you can't do if you're committed. It's also wise to pick your battles. Most of them don't need you.

You started Semi Permanent and built it into something much bigger than a design conference. What did that experience teach you that you still take into the work you’re doing today?

Naivety is a powerful thing. It's what led me to spend 20 years running a company I never planned to start, let alone stay with. I learned how to keep my priorities clean, pay my taxes, appreciate every conversation and ask a lot of questions, usually more than people would like. I learned there are ups and downs, and that they don't send a schedule in advance. And I learned it's good to find your purpose and let it do the driving.

How did you first get involved with the Messi Cup, and what was it like being part of something that is bringing sport, entertainment and culture together on such a global scale?

I was helping the founders of SMUGGLER, a very successful commercial production company in New York, LA and London, build an experience division. One of the partners had formed a joint venture with Leo Messi to produce all of his film and television content. In literally their first agenda meeting, Leo asked for a youth football tournament, and fortunately I was the first phone call.

The experience was as complicated and as simple as you'd imagine. At its core, we had to design a youth tournament that gives players a platform to perform, gives the industry a way to engage, and shows the community deeper ways of connecting. Underneath that are the realities, like making sure a single social media post is exactly right, because half a billion people will see it straight away. No pressure. The tournament had well over a billion viewers, so designing an interesting surface layer was never going to be enough. You have to build something that holds up when that many people lean on it.

You’re now working with Kenya Barris and seem to be moving further into film and television. What are you enjoying about that world, and what made you want to move in that direction?

I'm fortunate to be represented by the team at WME. They connected the dots between Kenya's ever-growing slate of film and TV (Black-ish, White Men Can't Jump, Coming 2 America, You People) and my work with brands and organisations creating new IP. The idea is that you don't just watch something. You engage with it, interact with it, and maybe even get moved to do something about it.

Beyond all that heady stuff, I just love film and TV. So it's an absolute pleasure to help create new shows by developing concepts, writing and designing. It's the kind of work I'd do for free, which I try not to say too loudly near anyone at WME.

How do you balance creativity with commercial outcomes when working with brands?

I've never really connected with the idea of marketing. It always feels a bit forced, like a handshake that goes on too long. I'm much more interested in finding the real value exchange, where the audience, the brand and the creator all walk away with something they actually want or love. I spend a lot of time looking for that sweet spot between creativity and commerce. It exists. It's just rarely where people look first.

What does a typical day look like for you when you're in Byron Bay? 

I'm up around 4 or 4:30am to connect with everyone in LA, New York and across Europe. I haven't really worked in Australia, per se, for a few years now. I hit the gym at home with my daughter, drop the kids at the bus at 7, then head into the studio. Some days it's just emails and Zooms, but if I'm lucky I'm on the tools: sketching or modelling concepts, designing in Figma, researching. I try to surf once a day, which is either my most or least productive hour, depending on who's asking. Then I pick the kids up at 4 and drop them at sport. We have dinner all together, then a cup of tea while we play cards. I read a few pages of a new magazine, print only. Then I fall asleep to the sound of all the animals just waking up. Somebody has to take the night shift.

Is there a book, film, exhibition or podcast you've discovered recently that you would recommend?

I always look forward to new issues of the design publication Capsule and the architecture journal About. The Glasshouse.aus social channel isn't something I'm particularly interested in, and yet I'm completely hooked. I've stopped trying to understand why. The book Roll the Calls by Ari Emanuel. And I would have loved to see Doug Aitken's new show at The Shed in New York, but I think I'll miss it. That's usually how it goes with the things you most want to see.

What is keeping you busy at the moment, and is there anything coming up that you’re particularly excited about?

At this exact moment, I'm typing on my phone and eyeing the departures board on my way to Paris. Ask me again when I land.