Ian Haworth: ECD & Cold Water Swimmer | Creative Pursuits

Introducing Creative Pursuits, The Drum’s new video series uncovering the weird and wonderful hobbies undertaken by the industry’s marketing matter. First up is Wunderman executive creative director Ian Haworth, who rises with the lark six days a week to swim in Hyde Park’s Serpentine lake.

Haworth, rather inexplicably, “can’t get enough of the feeling of cold water”. As a member of the Serpentine Swimming Club he arrives at the lake before 7am come rain or shine in all seasons. Wetsuits are for wimps here, and in the winter months the creative director has been known the crack the ice in the dark of dawn in order to get his cold water fix.

“It’s kind of like a narcotic minus the narcotic, particularly when it’s colder and the water’s less than 10 degrees,” he said. “It just makes you feel so sharp and alive. It is like a real boost every morning.

“You kind of feel pretty chilled out and happy most of the time – and that’s not a bad thing.”