Hasta La Creative!

Born in 1975 Chennai. Spent 8 years growing up in Africa. Returned to Chennai in 1985. Learnt to play the mridangam for 3 years. Acted in 27 full fledged theatre productions. Joined advertising in Dec 1995 as an intern. Did six years between Chennai Bangalore learning to be a copywriter. Worked in Y&R Dubai for 3 years from 2001-2004. Worked in Ogilvy Bangalore for 3 years. Started Happy in 2007 with Praveen Das. Love movies, music, design and pop art. Moonlight as a stand up comedian as The HigherIyer Show.

?Why are you into Advertising??
Cos it’s the only place you get to use your creative muscles with every medium that’s exists. I also get bored easily, so it helps to keep focusing on different brands with different needs. But I didn’t know any of this when I started my career. Actually I loved commercials and asked someone who ‘thought’ of them. Someone said the agency and I decided I would learn to be a copywriter. It took me 5 years to realize what I actually wanted to do was direct ad films. Hopefully I’ll get there some day.

?Did you attend school for fine art or design or Communications??
Did my bachelors in visual communications at Loyola College, Chennai (1993-1996)
Tell us about your recent work campaign??The most popular is the Flipkart – No kidding. No worries. – campaign. Am particularly proud of it cos it was good advertising packed with the perfect dash of creative punch. It was not only great fun working with kids on the campaign. It resulted in 800% growth for the clients business. Add to that, that it was rated among the top 5 recalled campaigns of 2011.

?Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up??
Walt Disney. Bill Cosby. Pink Floyd. Richard Pryor. Al Pacino. Quinten Tarantino. Steve Jobs.

?Who was the most influential personality on your career in Advertising?
Shahir Zag. He continues to influence me even today.

?Where do you get your inspiration from?
Music. Movies. Video Games. Typography. Fashion. Stand up comedy. Life.

Do you have any kind of a program to nurture and train young talent??
While we try to meet once in six months to work as a group and nuture team building, I don’t think we have a structured program to impart. We have a culture that we try to live by and people pick up from that.
?Tell us something about the ‘Happy’ Environment.
Its a high energy zone. Some people feel naturally drawn to this energy and tend to become part of it exuding their own into the environment. For some its over bearing, and they leave. We have people from very different backgrounds. The love for all things cool and awesome brings us together for sure. The power of appreciation, sigh.
?Tell us about your biggest challenge as the Creative Director of Happy…
Defining that role is the biggest challenge.
?Tell us about your 1st work as a creative director in the field of advertising.
The A R Rahman campaign for worldspace satellite radio, done at Ogilvy & Mather in 2006. Technically I was only ACD then, but I would say that was my first role as a CD from being there and seeing the campaign through from conception to release.
?Pick and tell us about one of all your past campaigns, your personal favourite…
The Flipkart – No kidding. No worries. campaign and the Lee Never Wasted bag design from the recent past.
What do you think of the state of Print advertising right now. At least here in India, the released work is most often too sad??
One can say unreasonable cost of print media has contributed to this. No budget for production – so headline and clipart (read as graphic elements). Add to this a large percentage of unimaginative people in our industry.
?Do you think brands who’s advertising wins awards, do well in the market??
For sure. The biggest ideas that win awards, in the biggest award shows are all real work. And that’s how they become the biggest brands.
?What advice do you have for aspiring creative professionals??
Only now you have the energy to work hard and party harder. Make sure you work hard, too.
?Who would you like to take out for dinner??
Add the-hottest-actress-in-your-head-name here. Hey we like the same girl. Awesome! High five.
What’s on your iPod?
All kinds of music.

Mac or PC?
Its like asking someone to choose between a bandra boy and Priyanka Chopra. But in this case – Mac.

Chaiti Mehta, founder of Chaiti Mehta Design (CMD) in 2009, discovered herself in the world of design when she began communicating a message both visually and conceptually. Calling herself as purely a designer, she creates forms and patterns out of brands, our of love, out of passion.
Her work spans brand identity and development, art direction, packaging, printed matter, interactive, art-projects and exhibitions. With her clientele in India, New York, London, and Dubai, she works closely and collaboratively with them who want their brands to speak. She allows a direct thought-process, approaching design holistically.

Her work has been awarded and published by curated design publication; Book of the Year, Volume Four (Praquin, France), Asia Pacific Design No. 7 (Sandu Cultural Media Co.,Ltd. Hongkong/Guangzhou/Beijing and Design 360°- Concept and Design Magazine). Featured on the front cover of India’s noted design magazine, The Kyoorius Design Magazine 7 and The Kyoorius Design Showcase 2011-12.

Why are you a Graphic Designer?
I usually stumble at being called a Graphic Designer and come up with all sorts of complicated explanations and words. I’m purely a designer. One who can define a color, a type and a form. The kind of graphic design majority of people relate to is not only about brochures, catalogs, logos and all of that. It’s about a Process. It’s how it works. Knowing the real power of holistic design and experiencing its maximum. In short every piece needs to have an Understanding of Design, a perception and experimentation. Hence I chose this path.

Did you attend school for fine art or design?
Attended a four year intensive training in a design school at Rachana Sansad College of Applied Art & Crafts, Mumbai brought in basic fundamentals of Design and prepares one to pursue that path. What I gathered learning in design school are the basic concepts like rhythm and balance. The education gave me a direction and opened several avenues. Education is useful. Training and practice is more important.

You have a distinct style of Design. How long did it take you to develop your style?
I don’t think I try coming up with a style but come up with something that has a logic underneath it. I take myself into a whole new experience everytime I think of something. If you see my work, it’s always emerging into different interests. I don’t draw from any inspiration, influence or reference material. It’s the thought of creating something unique and identifiable. I have a very strong kind of look, and what people see is a reflection of myself, my own personality and I simply love what I do.

Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up?
I’m still young, still evolving in my career. There are yet lot of people I would like to work with or rather say collaborate with. But there’s one person who has opened my eye and showed me the true world of design is Salil Awchat, art director of Awchat & Olsen Design. A hard-core design experience and freedom to work on projects giving it everything that I could create, it’s rare to find a mentor like him. I hope he agrees.

Who was the most influential personality on your career in graphic design?
Where I stand today, I owe it to Salil Awchat, art-director of Awchat & Olsen Design, an award winning design studio based in Mumbai and Oslo. I have worked under him for two and a half years when I just graduated and was difficult for a fresher to jump into a graphic design studio with zero experience. A few were confused, some got married, majority entered the big world of Advertising. I was sure that it’s got to be design and I was stubborn at it. A&O opened many avenues. As a designer, I was exposed to all stages of the design process from pitching to finished artwork and print production. Their belief in me started growing, solidifying and together I delved into my work as if nothing ever mattered more than this.

When did you start freelancing?
June 2009, I took the plunge to create my own individuality. Life has meaning only in the struggle. It’s been over two years and still evolving.

Was there any time when you wanted to quit graphic design?
Design is what I love to do. To keep practicing and do good work in a meaningful way. I am constantly trying to open myself to explore design in different perspectives. There’s always a desire to keep getting better but it only comes through practice, practice and practice!

Are many advertising agencies hiring graphic designers? Do you work more with agencies or clients/publishers?
A lot of agencies need graphic designers. But I work wholly with individual clients who want their brands to speak.

Do you have clients who give you steady work or do you advertise for new clients often?
My clients come to me. My relationship with my clients has been so far long-term. There is a commitment that I add to their work that makes them come back with larger and more creative opportunities. It’s all a process.

Any other Indian graphic designers who you admire?
Miti Desai, Ishan Khosla, Alok Nanda, Tania Singh Khosla, Sameer Kulavoor, Lokesh Kareker are the very few whose work I admire. They are exceptional and hence do very different and unique work. It’s logical and level-headed.
Recently met Manjiri Rajopadhye over a chat. There is so much to learn from her. A true designer, she has mastered her skill and is so true to herself which reflects in her work. I had taken a class with Miti Desai, a very remarkable course on design. It was an experience of a lifetime. She’s an incredible lady, so Indian, so real. A designer & dancer, her aim is at encouraging the students to feel and experience design, to achieve both professional and personal goals. Every second was worth it.

Some other design contemporaries whose work you admire?
Shigeru Ban – his approach is methodical, unorthodox and ingeniously pragmatic.
Subhash Awchat – he builds a beautiful relationship with himself and the canvas. Sabir Khan – acclaimed sarangi maestro. Heard him at The Dewarists show and his music just flows around the groove so meticulously.

What advice do you have for aspiring creative professionals? Would you advise them to take on graphic design as a career option?
Practice, practice and practice! If you don’t go all out, how would you succeed?
There are tons of talented artists and these are the ones who apply real talent, dedication and put their soul into their work. Be passionate. Love what you do. Create something crazy. There are no boundaries in design! Be approachable, stand out from the crowd and don’t be complacent. The passionate innovating ones, yes this would a great career. You need to be a skilled ‘looker’. Struggle is the core part here, and laziness definitely doesn’t take you anywhere. Having an early design exposure makes one aware of the design profession to transform analytical materials to visual ideas. A graduation design program shows depth in the process of design. Design can be a long term career choice since it completes
personal interest as well as earning a living and exploring yourself.

Do you think Clients are opening up to keeping aside a decent respectable budget for design work?
Do you think clients are understanding that they need to invest in Design as a communication tool and also to cut the clutter, and that good design comes at a price?
Most of my clients, yes. Awareness and realisation has made a lot of my clients set up a budget for design work and hence it opens our creative minds to think differently.

Whats your dream project?
Brand a luxury hotel.

Who would you like to take out for dinner?
Let’s keep this personal!

What’s on your iPod?
Lounge, Spiritual

Mac or PC?
Mac

To view more of her works:
Visit FB Page  |  Visit Behance Page  |  Chaiti Mehta Home Page

Anil started his advertising career close to 18 years ago and has worked with agencies such as Leo Burnett, Enterprise Nexus, Ambience Publicis, SSC&B Lintas and Percept Hakuhodo. Along the way, he has helped build brands such as Canon, Panasonic, Pantaloon, Taj Hotels, FedEx, Killer Jeans, Westside, Raymond, Siyaram, The Times Of India, Femina, The Economic Times, Brand Equity, Indiatimes.com, Pierre Cardin, Thums Up, Lakme, Vicks, Nerolac Paints, Park Avenue, to name a few. Anil’s work has been featured in several award shows and advertising festivals. His work for The Times Of India was the first Indian campaign to have won the Campaign of the Year award at the Asia Pacific Adfest; the campaign also picked up the same award at the Abby Awards. His work for Vladivar Vodka and Georgia Gullini clothing was showcased in the international Archive magazine. At SSC&B, Anil’s creative work helped the agency win the ‘Most improved agency of the year’ title, moving up from Rank 52 to Rank 18 in less than a year, within the Lowe network. As Bombay Creative Head at Percept, his work helped the agency garner more than 40 awards over a span of 2 years. Anil has been a member of the jury at the New York Festivals, Goafest and the Outdoor Advertising Awards. Anil regularly contributes articles to FHM magazine and is also working on his first fiction novel.

Why are you into advertising?
When I was a kid, my father owned an ad agency. Back then, there were no computers and he used to manually cut typefaces printed on bromides. He used to cut it very carefully, with a pair of scissors set the type for each ad with his own hands. As a teenager, I couldn’t help but get fascinated by the whole process. Often, I used to help him source typefaces from Letraset and various international magazines and I think that exposed me to the wonder of advertising; unknowingly, it helped me find beauty in typography, writing and art. Thanks to him, I could tell a Bodoni from a Futura, while I was still in school. In retrospect, this went a long way in defining the future. As it turned out, a few years later, my father got a job and so we had to move out and I found myself in Bombay and that marked the turning point of my life. I remember, a long, long time ago, while I was still wet behind the ears, I visited the CAG exhibition where I happened to see the Mauritius Tourism campaign and an electric sort of feeling ran through my spine and that was when I decided, I should be in advertising.

Did you attend school for fine art or design or Communications?
I did a Copywriting Course from AAAI and yes, I even graduated from the Mohammed Khan School of Advertising.

With your busy schedule as an ECD, do you have enough time left to indulge in Creative?
I follow a hands-on approach to work. I believe it’s the only way to stay focused on the creative output and the only way to keep your work fresh and contemporary. I’d be restless if I didn’t do at least an ad a week.

Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up?
I’ve had no role models but I’ve certainly had the good fortune of meeting and working with a whole lot of wonderful and incredibly talented people. Some of them include Mohammed Khan, Rajiv Agarwal,  Sharmeen Mitha, Arun Kale, Agnello Dias, Ajay Chandwani, Elsie Nanji, K V Sridhar, Prashant Godbole, Zarvan Patel, Anand Halve and Vikram Gaikwad, among many others. Since I spent years working with these people, it’s quite obvious that they’ve had an impact on my work.

Who was the most influential personality on your career in Advertising?
Mohammed Khan. Without a doubt, he’s still the greatest Creative Director India has ever had. He’s easily the most honest, the most stylish, the most awe-inspiring and the most passionate advertising person I have ever met. I wish life had a rewind button and I could simply go back to the years I spent in Enterprise. Why can’t we have more creative directors like him?

Where do you get your inspiration from?
Arty museums, seedy bars, twitter, wikipedia, coffee shops, wherever I can get it from.

Tell us something about the work environment at Percept.
Percept has had a unique culture and a unique way of working. Since I had moved to Percept with my earlier boss, Ajay Chandwani, I found it a lot easier to bring in a creative culture, so to speak. We had a lot of fun producing some good work, some of which went on to win prestigious awards at Goafest, New York Festivals, Graphis and Montreux. It was quite exciting being part of the transformation, since it was the first time Percept had won so many awards.

Do you have any kind of a program to nurture and train young talent?
Percept does have knowledge sharing sessions every weekend, wherein renowned professionals are invited from the industry to share their knowledge and help train young talent.

What about new and young film makers/photographers? Do you consciously keep looking for newer talent and try someone completely new?
It depends on the nature of the project and the skill-sets required to execute the job. Obviously, the creative output is sacrosanct and if someone younger can bring more value to the table, I’ll be open to it.

What do you think of the state of Print advertising right now. At least here in India, the released work is most often too sad? Why do you think it has lost the shine? Why are the younger lot more interested in TV? Is it because TV creative (after the script of course) is outsourced to a production house?
I think it’s really sad to see print and particularly, writing for print, die in this country. It’s equally sad to see the younger lot ignoring print completely. There was a time when we used to fight among each other to work on a print campaign, but quite apparently, all that is now history. I think it’s bullshit when they say people don’t have the time to read, I think the real reason is that quite evidently, most writers are not writing any more and most planners and juries are not supporting writing any more. A premier Indian newspaper supplement once carried an article titled ‘The Death of Copy’. Ironically, the article was over 600 words in length. The article contradicted the very premise it was based on; that people don’t read any more. Last I checked, newspapers were still on the stands, blogs are gaining more importance and we see more and more bookstores than ever.  The fact is, when you write copy that is relevant and intriguing, people will read it;  when you have fun writing an ad, someone out there will have fun reading it.

About 12 years ago, all IIM and other B-School grads had advertising as their first choice of career option. Today it does not even feature in the list. How does that reflect in the quality of non-creatives in the industry? Is that one reason why the current print work sucks?
Great advertising is born out of a collaboration between a business insight and a disruptive idea. Obviously, it would be horribly wrong to have one without the other; that would most definitely affect the quality of any creative work and not just print alone. Now, more than ever, this industry needs as many bright thinkers as it can get.

More and more young people are web savvy and want to work on the internet or on more entrepreneurial ventures. Has that affected the quality of people advertising has been getting?
On the contrary, it’s helped push the envelope. It’s always good to have young, web savvy creative talent around, considering it’s common knowledge that the internet will gain even more ground as a medium, in the days to come. It’s also refreshing to see so many creative people start out independently. I firmly believe the next big creative revolution will be digitized and more often than not, the big ideas will come from
independent creative hotshops. Traditional advertising and beliefs will undergo a massive transformation and it will be exciting to witness a paradigm shift.

Do you think brands whose advertising wins awards do well in the market?
Without a doubt. According to The Gunn Report, more than 70% of the brands which win awards go on not just meet, but exceed sales targets. Advertising which wins awards obviously stands head and shoulders above the ones which don’t, and therefore gets noticed better and therefore, results in sales. It’s quite simple, really.

What advice do you have for aspiring creative professionals?
Stay hungry. Stay foolish. Never, ever waste money on an expensive portfolio case;
all your employer cares about is what’s inside.

What is your dream project?
To work on a campaign for Volkswagen.

Mac or PC?
Mac. Dead argument, innit?

Who would you like to take out for dinner?
Salman Rushdie. He’s got to be the most fascinating man on earth.

What’s on your iPod?
Jack Johnson, Pearl Jam, One Republic, The Fray, GMS and good ole’ Pink Floyd.

View on Vimeo.

A visit to Bajibot’s website is like going into another world. It is so rich with visuals and 3D animation that it’s almost like a video game… you just keep wanting more. I connected with New Business Director Martin Fernando and he put me in touch with Vince Mei, founder of Bajibot. Due to their hectic schedule, I sent my interview questions to them via email. The response came back in half a day, so thank you Martin and Vince for your time — I know you guys are busy.

Bajibot is a web-design company that specializes in 3D animation. I became interested in Bajibot because of its partner list, which not only consists of other agencies such as TribalDDB, BBDO Atmosphere and Digitas, but also includes clients like Pepsi, Nike, Philips, HSBC, Novartis and the NFL.

I thought, “Holy Crap! Look at the brands supported by this company,” and knew that there was something special hidden just below the surface. Following is an excerpt of our interview:

Tell us a bit about the history behind Bajibot. What is (a) Bajibot?

Bajibot Media was founded by myself and a partner in 2006, we came up with the name Bajibot from our screen names, I am known as the “Bajiking” and my friend’s name was “Dxxbot” so we combined our names and came up with “Baji-Bot”.  My partner friend decided to take advantage of a real nice offer at an agency so I started Bajibot on my own.

Bajibot’s  first project was a huge banner campaign for Nike+ through R/GA, and projects started to roll in.  After a month of working from my apartment my wife kicked me and my assistant out and with a budget of $5,000 I rented a small 100 square foot office near Rockefeller Center, and that was Bajibot’s first official location. For three years we’ve continued to grow, working almost exclusively with global agencies in New York, delivering the best digital content for the web.

What makes Bajibot unique?

Technically speaking we are a web design shop equipped with heavy duty 3D capability.  I studied 3D animation in college but my 10 year career had been in the Interactive field, and so combining these skills created a niche of providing broadcast quality 3D content that works on the web.  By knowing the limitations and possibilities of the web and Flash, our clients value us because we provide smooth integration of our work into their Flash projects.  Our clients often come to us for fresh creative ideas from a 3D perspective to add value to their interactive projects.

We like our clients to think of us as their “in-house” power team instead of an “outsource vendor.” We try to keep our shop at a compact size to maintain direct communication and because of our expertise we have the capacity to take on larger tasks.  We offer a single point of contact with our clients – our producer or myself – so the client’s messages get to our artists fast and clearly.  Plus the advantage of being in NYC is that we are always on call to go to our client’s office for face to face meetings.

We have a super laid back, friendly working environment, and that’s the secret of how we keep our creative juices flowing.  My dog Baji often visits our office and Baji helps to nurture that environment, too.

What is the most outrageous site that you’ve worked on?

There are many, but without a doubt the Intel Rich Media Banner Campaign project from MRM would be at the top of the list.  In just 4 weeks we produced a serious of 6 super rich media ads that feature stunning 3D and interactivity inside those banners, and the special thing about the project was that it was the turning point of Bajibot.  Many thanks to Duncan Mitchell, MRM’s Creative Director, who worked with us on the project and gave us enough trust, creative freedom, and a generous budget!

Advertising has changed a lot over the past year. How has Bajibot changed to meet these challenges?

The advertising industry is definitely changed quite a bit over the past year, primarily in budget.  Clients are asking for more and better work done with less budget.  But Bajibot’s business model has always been designed for this kind of demand.  We’ve always stayed on top of the trends and technology to offer the latest “cool” things to do.  We’ve always kept a reasonable and affordable rate card, and we’ve always been super flexible with time with many examples of “mission-impossible” successes.

How would you describe Bajibot in three words?

Flexibility – Creativity – Execution

Three words that have refined — and continue to refine — the creative products that Bajibot provides its partners. Bajibot exemplifies a shop that’s ahead of the curve, way ahead. View its 2009 media reel and you’ll see what I mean.

Jeff Louis: Media Planner, Brand Project Manager, blogger, aspiring writer. Please leave a comment, or reach out to him on Twitter or LinkedIn. As always, thanks for reading.

For the first time in nearly a decade, online spending was reported to be 5% lower in Q1 of 2009 than Q1 of 2008. Although losses were not specified by category, it’s clear that online advertising is not recession-proof.

Yet, glimmers of success are still found among gloomy reports and forecasts.

Yodle, an online advertising provider that specializes on small businesses in local markets, has repeatedly shown dramatic increases in year-over-year revenue gains over the past two years.

How dramatic? Try a 300% increase from 2006 to 2007, and 700% from 2007 to 2008. The company started with just nine employees and now boasts over 250. Additionally, Yodle’s client list has jumped from 125 clients in 2006 to well over 5000 accounts managed in 2009.

What is Yodle’s business model for success? As luck would have it, I was able to ask Court Cunningham, CEO of Yodle, that exact question (among others).

Court Cunningham (CC): Yodle delivers the strongest return on marketing investment to the small business owner. In 2007, 50% of online users performed searches for local businesses. In 2008, 82% of online users searched locally. Yodle focuses on providing an avenue for small businesses to “get found.” We place our clients’ ads on larger sites, such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN, as well as 75 other top-performing local sites, providing small businesses the online accessibility of a larger company.

Beyond Madison Avenue (BMA): When you say “small” business, what size company are you talking about?

CC: A law firm with 100 employees can be considered a small business… but Yodle’s main focus is on businesses with ten or fewer employees. We are targeting the “S” of SMB. Small business owners realize that they need to be online now more than ever, and Yodle can get them there.

BMA: What does Yodle offer a small business that the online Yellow Pages or a local portal does not?

CC: The greatest benefit Yodle provides is more leads and a lower cost-per lead. Second, we accommodate small business owners by getting them online in an effortless (on their part) manner. If a business owner needs help developing a web site, we offer those services. Finally, Yodle provides full transparency and accountability. We supply clients with an online dashboard that records the number of clicks and calls from their ads. This allows them to record the clicks or calls that turn into qualified leads or sales versus those that did not go anywhere.

BMA: Do you focus on certain types of businesses?

CC: Businesses that benefit the most from Yodle are those in which the product or service has a high value. We cater to plumbers, electricians, cleaning services, locksmiths, personal trainers, contractors, construction companies, etc.

BMA: Do you advertise national companies on a local level?

CC: We do have clients that are national franchises, such as ServiceMaster, that advertise their services locally. But, the majority of our clients are small business owners. Yodle has a unique solution for national franchise companies that allows them to manage local ad dollars and national coop dollars through one easy to use product.

BMA: Currently, Yodle is in the Top 40 DMAs (markets). What are your expansion plans? Are you going to increase the number of markets that Yodle covers?

CC: No, our plans for growth are vertical, which will enable us to provide greater depth per market. We’ll also be rolling out new products in the near future that will be beneficial for our clients.

BMA: Would you say that your greatest competitors are Yelp and other “like-minded” sites?

CC: Not really. We use Yelp and City Search to display our client’s ads. Our biggest competitors would be other sites like ours, and the Yellow Pages.

BMA: Please reiterate Yodle’s advantage over these sites…

CC: Yodle will provide small businesses with a high volume of quality leads, complete service and transparency, and higher ROIs than advertising currently being used.

Yodle is yet another example of a company that thinks progressively and has the ability to succeed while others remain stagnant. Now is the perfect time for small business owners to take advantage of online advertising opportunities to increase their advantage over competitors. Yodle provides local businesses with a simple and affordable way to get new customers and phone calls while establishing an online presence. Click here to find out more about services offered by Yodle, as well as its clients’ success stories.

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Account Coordinator. His passion is writing. Reach out to him on either linkedin.com or twitter.com.