Hasta La Creative!

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Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett, Riyadh
Creative Director: Mehdi El Alj
Art Director / Copywriter: Noel Denola

Via [AdsoftheWorld]

Advertising Agency: PURE Marketing & Communications, Kuwait

Creative Director : Mazen Dbouk

About herself: I am 34 years up the life ladder. Professionally speaking, I am a narrative & editorial photographer and a book designer.

Why are you a photographer?
I am a photographer, because currently, I feel I am better at expressing a point of view through pictures. Also because I can’t be a CIA agent.

Do you remember any decisive moment when you felt ‘I want to be a photographer’?
Yes thrice.
The first time at the age of 12 (for only a day), after discovering my father’s Pentax camera, with no film in it, I shot everyone passing by the balcony, including the guy who flashed me. (yes, it was traumatic)
the second time After seeing Anita Khemka’s photo essay on the Aravan Festival in Tamil Nadu in 2001.
and finally after a Max Vadukul Talk. But it was more of what he said than his superb work, in 2005.

Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up?
I’d like to clarify two factors. One. I am still growing up. Two. There are no role models there is only inspiration and that can be found with anyone and anywhere, even in terrible work.
There are however people whom I have seen at work and they have subliminally led me to a way of thought and have certainly shown what is possible.
I have found them amongst family, friends, collegues and peers, bosses and people leading ordinary lives which are extraordinary to me.
Filtered down, to me it meant, Never stop learning and if you can do something, do it well, else don’t do it.

To name  a few –
People such as, Dinesh Khanna, a well known photographer from Delhi. He is like my father. I also treat him like my compass.
Radhika Singh a feisty and wise woman who started the first photo agency in India and is a foreboding curator of Photography.
Rajendra Yadav, Hindi literateur, whose creativity is an example of excellence and truth at work.
Rachana Yadav, Kathak Dancer – she is the epitome of focus, focus and focus.
Vani Subramanium an excellent english language writer, documentary film maker
Gopika Chowlfa, Graphic Designer- without whose wry and precise sense of critic I would have never been very good at design.
Dayanita Singh – Her 2 week course on photography at NID, I remember every bit of it.
R.Balki –  He is not very good at understanding art  but I don’t think I have met anyone else who understands the pulse of his clients and their TG as well as he does.
Devika Daulet-Singh, again, a brilliant curator/editor in the field of Photography and because of whom I know a lot more about photography than I ever did.

Who was the most influential personality on your career in photography?
A friend who said – “your photography fever will last only a week”. ha ha
But on a serious note, again, to name a few -Annie Liebowitz (in spirit), Life Magazine, A book called Private Pictures by Daniel Angeli, Nacho Lopez- a mexcian photographer, Van Leo – Egyptian Photographer, Raghubir Singh, Miss Aniela – British Photographer and finally Dinesh Khanna, Radhika Singh, Anita Khemka are the people continue to display learning, inspiration and knowledge. And There are a million more but, How can I not thank the biggest personality – The Internet.

How has photography changed over the course of the last couple of decades? Is execution/art direction more important than it used to be?
Yes to both. But it must!. Everything will and must evolve in sync as a reflection or a banner of our current times. Which also means that people are now looking for instant gratification everywhere, so who cares about an idea as long as it looks good. But I am okay with it now, because I can already sense despair with just “great execution”. Nothing can exist for long if it doesn’t serve a function/ purpose/or mere common sense. Its like marrying a best looking person in the world but who can’t hold a conversation for longer than half a sentence.

Your work can be defined as narrative photography. You also continue to design books and indulge in creating stories and drama with typography. Do you see any of your graphic design influences in your photography?
Yes I do. I have never anticipated a design/photograph beforehand, The end product is always a surprise to me as well. I look at graphic design as a visual language of the best composition and precise communication. All elements have to fall into place perfectly. Its the same with framing a photograph or editing a photo story. Editing is harder
Photography wise, I  pretend old school, and look at my images only three days after they were shot.

Was there any time when you wanted to quit photography?
There was a time when I never wanted to pick it up. The quitting thing, nope. nothing yet. Unless CIA comes calling.

What do you think of the current state of Print Advertising photography in India? Is it at par with the work done worldwide?
I am not a commercial photographer but I have dealt with many over 14 years of a design/advertising career.  To answer your question, No, most commercial photographers are churning out the best they can, which unfortunately for all of us, isn’t much. Everyone should be wary because there are a lot of very talented foreign photographers moving from other countries to India BECAUSE they see opportunity in our lack of imagination.  We live in a well, compared to what is going on in the ocean of great work out of India. And it gets better by the day.
What works in our favor is that India is a tough country to do advertising for. It has too many economic layers, languages, connotations, and sensibilities and all are in conflict, and therefore there are so many more more opportunities and ways to present an idea. We as Indians get that and can still be innovative (and less in awe) in our point of view.

Having said that, advertising and clients i sense are struggling to trying to find an easy and inexpensive way in and have forgotten that there is a ‘brand’ and for it to be called a BRAND it needs a CONSISTENT visual language, just putting the logo in the same place is does not make it a brand. More so, if a picture is not powerful enough to make me stop, and make a point, you have just wasted your and my time, money and brand placement opportunity. Prasad Naik in my opinion redefined Indian Fashion Photography, there were other contemporaries too but he has been the only one consistent. Now, in advertising photography there is nothing called a good photograph, its either called great photoshop or its called Getty images. I have nothing against photoshop, I am a pro at it myself, but by depending so much on post processing, photographers may have become lazy. But everyone has made their choices and these days all is fair in love, war and art.

I do feel that Indian creative people must consider that everything about a shoot doesn’t necessarily require lights and a studio. All of bank advertising is the biggest proof to that. Currently, all have candid shots yet they have big production budgets assigned to their campaign and terrible wooden photography. Sometimes what works best for an brand/idea is a image shot in available light, in natural circumstances which will in all probability be better than a artificially lit one. Especially in a country like ours where everything mass IS about the family, spontaneity and emotion. With less structure and planning most will find better intuitive images and therefore more retentive power.

Any current work in Indian Advertising photography that you find exciting?
Currently? Nothing at all. Print is dead, television is boring. Commercially everyone is doing the same work really. One photograph is as good or bad as the other. So to me its all a blind spot. When its a great idea then I see it expressed mostly as typo or graphic in nature rather than photographic (refer to your own blog). Some of the good stuff never sees the light of day or goes to Luezhers Archive.
We don’t even have models anymore, no one knows HOW to model. but thats another issue altogether. We do have bollywood and only bollywood. And they look the same in everything including their films.
To date however, Tanishq AARKA by Suresh Natrajan, Art directed by Sharon Nayak, Lowe has been one of the most beautiful Indian campaigns I have ever seen.  Bharat Sikka’s work too is commendable.

I have also found that a lot of commercial photographers are either copying the masters’ works or replicating the art directors diktat which also only stems from surfing corbis and getty.
Since most photographers are as good as the other its not much about the talent In the selection process of  commercial photographers selection, its who charges less OR whose name sounds better to the client (therefore better PR) and/or who will feed me better production lunch and beer, sometimes its even about who can handle a celebrity better on set, all very valid reasons, and about the picture, well there’s always photoshop. I have spent 6 years in advertising, I hear things haven’t changed much. In any case, with Print advertising is at its last leg, thats not going to help the cause.
The fun part will be to see how indian photographers fare online, because a tacky picture means you have lost a customer to your competition in exactly 1.5 seconds.
Clients and creatives abroad, and a few here, have already begun to recognise that fact.

Documentary/Editorial work is what I see is becoming very exciting, and people are doing great work within that genre. And a lot of it is socially relevant. There are also a few creative people in agencies who recognize the power in its simplicity and realism “Balbir Pasha ko AIDS hoga kya?” was such a campaign, the ICICI campaign shot by Swapan Parekh was another, and though commercial, I am of the opinion that the genre can be immensely helpful and refreshing to Agencies in other commercial projects and aspects too.

Whats your dream project?
You mean PROJECTS. Plural.
But one would be to show at the National Portrait Gallery and Guggenheim.

Who would you want to spend a dinner with?
Annie Liebowitz

Whats on your iPod?
I don’t have one.

Mac or PC?
MAC. There is no ‘OR’

Anusha Yadav can be contacted via her website here.

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“Benefiting from the name of the newspaper, Al Balad  (The country), an ear panel was booked as a continuation of the publication logo on the anniversary campaign launch date creating a bold statement “The Country is Celebrating”. As a revealer, an inside half page was booked on the same day carrying Spinneys logo, offers and 11th year anniversary logo. Also see Celebrating prices.”

Client Name: Spinneys Supermarket
Media buying concept: Marketing Department of Spinneys
Campaign creative work: Team Y&R, Lebanon
Media booking: Media Associates

Advertising Agency: JWT Chennai, India
Executive Creative Director: Senthil Kumar
Creative Director: PK Prasad
Art Director: PK Prasad
Copywriter: Zena desilva
Illustrator: PK Prasad
(we are seeing a lot of good work from JWT Chennai! Congrats guys, for pushing the envelope!)

Maybe it’s the transitory nature of business these days or the the strict focus on business/clients and profitability, but finding and being a mentor is still invaluable to our industry and an enriching part of our humanity.

Early on, there were no formal mentoring programs where I began, but there were a lot of smart, fascinating people who were willing to talk about their work, their thought processes, and their clients. I’d watch how they presented, how they worked with clients, and how they handled themselves and their craft. There was much to study and absorb.

Slowly, I struck up conversations with them and developed relationships with my secret mentors, and it wasn’t just people from the creative side. I got to know senior account directors and media planners. Even the crusty, old guy in the studio was a source of wisdom and experience.

That’s one of the great things about our business: There’s always something new to learn if you’re open to it. I’d encourage people who are breaking into the business to poke your nose into a veteran’s office or cube and get to know them. Show some enthusiasm. That’s how you start a relationship. Later you might ask his or her opinion about your work or for career advice.

You don’t have to act on all you learn and hear, but you might walk away with a piece of knowledge you didn’t show up to work with. You can use what you learn from others to help chart your own course.

If you’re a veteran, show some patience and interest with the newbies. Don’t forget we were all newbies once upon a time. Spend more time chatting with your next generation, and get to know their work, life, and expectations. Your thinking and work will benefit from their freshness. Think of it as a reverse form of mentoring.

Give it a try. Ignore your e-mails and silence your Blackberries for a few minutes and reach out. It’s well worth the effort for everyone.

John Kistner is a freelance Creative Director/Writer/Closet Cartoonist. You can check out his handiwork here.

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Advertising Agency: Team Y&R, Dubai
Executive Creative Director: Shahir Zag
Creative Director: Komal Bedi Sohal
Art Director: Komal Bedi Sohal
Copywriter: Shahir Zag
Photographer: James Day
Retouching: Core Digital, London
Account planner: Nadine Ghossoub

Via [AdsoftheWorld]

Illustration in Indian Advertising

George Supreeth runs  Pencilsauce, and Bite Lightning, an illustration studio and an Illustrator representation unit in Bangalore. He was among the new breed of computer literate visualisers who wiped out advertising studio artists in the mid 90s. He quit the Ad industry in 2000 and has been sulking around its periphery ever since. He teaches at the local art college and he loves to draw.

There’s something about the Punjabi  word ‘Jugaad’, that doesn’t translate too well into English, but it is a concept that is intrinsic to Indian advertising illustrations. There is something about our advertising that utterly and completely ignores illustration as a visual device. Perhaps social scientists and psychologists may say that it is the inherent Indian trait to deify that makes the humanizing art of photography a more relevant option. That and the fact that Photoshop changed everything in the early 90’s.

Illustration in Early Indian Advertising
Illustrations actually had a pretty good run in early Indian advertising. The fact that it lent itself to the coarse ‘Indian’ art paper (as opposed to foreign art), and reproduced well also helped.  Most illustrators were studio artists, who created stunning art using alabaster paper and poster colours. In fact until a few years ago, the model for most applied arts courses were actually illustration courses, posing as applied arts for advertising.

Since basic drawing skills were the very foundation of institutes like the JJ school of Art, almost every Indian art director in an advertising agency could draw. This led to quite a staggering range of illustrative styles in Indian advertising of the 70s and the 80s.

BSA SLR Kapil Dev

Boroline

Remember Kapil and his BSA? Even then I thought that the artist’s lines were impeccable, and I loved the frame where he reaches the airport. This illustrator really nailed each action shot. and then there was the alien’s time machine in the Boroline ad. Another nicely done comic! Also remember the Nutrine rabbit? To be honest I always hated that guy, but comics, characters and even just ornamental styles were rampant in advertising of the 70’s and the 80s.

Visit Vishal Patel’s site for some examples of retro comic book styles.

In the early 90’s when Photoshop hit the agency circuit, and the possibilities of Photo manipulation dawned on the agency creative, the holy grail of advertising photography had been breached. Up until then, Photography was entirely the domain of the Photographer. From the shoot planning right up until the transparencies were handed over, the photographer ruled the whole mysterious process. With Photoshop however, you didn’t have to run back to the processing lab every time you needed a new overlay or colourisation. Even better you could create complete comps of the layout. That one software did everything. It wiped out photo strippers, colourisation artists, and cut and paste experts. A side effect of the whole process was that illustration got left out in the cold.
When applied arts and advertising students discovered digital photo manipulation, entire college projects were comped using the software. The idea of storytelling or using images to tell stories soon became prevalent, with the images informing the story. With illustration, the idea came first and then you briefed the illustrator on what you wanted. With photo manipulation, you picked an image with potential, and pick an angle to base your story on. As a result, an entire industry forgot how to draw, and with it how to use Illustration as a visual medium.

The Whole Point of Illustration
While some illustration enthusiasts argue VS photography in general, the point of illustration is something else entirely. Illustrations use the innate ability of human beings to anthropomorphise. Which is why Calvin and Hobbes are so endearing, and comic books feel like motion pictures when you remember them afterwards. Illustrations reach some areas of our mind that photographs just cannot. Unlike a photograph of a person, an illustrated character can be designed without a trace of gender, race or age. It need not even be of the same species, but it still has the power to resonate with basic human emotions.

A well designed illustration can present the viewer with a completely new experience. Take the Mother’s pride ads illustrated by the talented  Sameer Kulavoor. Using a collage styled illustration completely and pleasantly disrupts the viewers expectation of the visual. Here, the skill of the illustrator is to keep the illustration within the realms of believability even when he’s exaggerating the characters and the environments. Disruption in this case directly lends itself to brand recall or the ability of the viewer to recall the brand due to him associating it with the illustration. The entire point of cleverness in advertising is to create spikes in people’s normative experiences. Little anchors that they will associate with the advertised product or service. These anchors are reactivated at the point of purchase through repeating elements from the original message or advertisment.

The Illustration Scene Today
While Illustration has been making a major resurgence the world over, in India we are only just begining to rediscover it’s potential. Artist’s like Kulavoor are among the few talented people who are creating an interest in this field. In an area which is cluttered with photographic imagery, Illustration can provide the key to differentiation. However our skills in this area have atrophied. During the period when advertising and publishing forgot illustration, potential and budding illustrators turned to a new area for sustenance. Computer graphics!
You could argue that computer graphics is just the tool and not the field. But in the time that illustration was no longer required for storytelling, artists turned their attention to graphical representation. Most Indian artists are extremely skilled at graphical representations, even at hyper realistic detail. This is not the same as Illustration. The word Illustrate itself means to educate by example or to enlighten. An illustrator needs to understand narrative, continuity and characterization to illustrate an idea. Graphical representations on the other hand are just maps. An objective device devoid of interactive potential.
The potential to brand through illustration will eventually dawn on the Indian advertising creative. With the number of advertising media increasing exponentially each year and as differentiation through imagery becomes increasingly difficult, Illustration offers a way to create unique visual experiences and newer ways to tap into consumers’ minds.

Pencil Sauce at work

Illustration for Jungle Camp, by Pencil Sauce

Clay Model character, by Pencil Sauce

A photo-realistic rendtion of a Wine Bottle. Illustration by Pencil Sauce.

Via [DubaiLynx]