Hasta La Creative!

Rishi JK Chanana (full name). Just a regular guy from Chandigarh, Punjab who left home to romance with advertising. Fortunately, that relationship has lasted and its been my most successful relationship till date. Have worked at Ogilvy Delhi, TBWA Dubai, Rediffusion Y&R and am now with TBWA India.
I’m a Punjabi at heart and a proud one too. Want to catch me in a crowd? Just look for the guy wearing all black (always).

Why are you into Advertising?
Because I can’t crack mathematical and scientific equations.

Did you attend school for fine art or design or Communications?
Yup. Bunked classes at College of Art, Chandigarh.

Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up?
Kapil Dev, Gurdas Mann & my Dad obviously.

Who was the most influential personality on your career in Advertising?
Rohit Devgun (now Sr. CD @ McCann Erickson)

Where do you get your inspiration from?
My own self (and I say that at the cost of sounding pompous). I think all of us are born with the capability of questioning and analyzing things around us, and it is all about recognizing that quality and working with it. I am constantly in a dialogue with myself, and I keep challenging my own ideas all the time.

Tell us something about the work environment at TBWA Gurgaon.
Well, its been around 20 months for me at the Gurgaon office. Its a young outfit with loads of young talent and potential. The past year has been great especially with all those awards coming our way. Soon, I’ll be moving to their Mumbai office, looking to bring home some more precious cutlery (smiles)

Do you have any kind of a program to nurture and train young talent?
Not exactly. Being happy at, and true to, one’s work is the key to finding success in whatever we do. On a technical level, the ability to judge one’s own work without being partial is what I encourage them to develop.

Tell us about your biggest challenge as the Creative Director of TBWA.
I joined TBWA in April 2010, at a time when there was less exposure for their creative work to International award shows. We (senior management and myself) took this as a challenge. Today, TBWA India stands proudly at the top of all award rankings, featuring in almost every respected award book. And this has motivated the creatives across TBWA India who are now looking forward to the coming award seasons with greater enthusiasm and passion.

What about new and young film makers/photographers? Do you consciously keep looking for newer talent and try someone completely new?
It depends actually. Sometimes experiments works better than experiences.

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?
I think its about educating the clients about brand perception and the impact of advertising, instead of getting educated from them about his perspective. Its a constant tussle – the client wants to play safe and get the message through while the agency is always out to prove their creative metal. Its just a matter of meeting somewhere in the middle.

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?
No, I don’t think so. On the contrary, the new medium provides instant gratification to creative guys and this has led to increased interest in advertising and similar creative fields.

Do you think brands whose advertising wins awards, do well in the market?
Well, at least they are perceived to be doing well (laughs). And frankly, that’s our job – to positively influence perceptions and create the right noise around the brand so that it helps the marketeers.

What advice do you have for aspiring creative professionals?
Advertising is not a job, its a way of life. Treat your initial days as the first few dates and then decide whether you want to get married or go shopping for a new partner. This is probably my only advice for aspiring creative minds. Here, you have to be a natural fit and if you are you’ll always be happy while you’re in it. Just be happy doing your work because it is one thing that you cannot earn, but have to find within yourself. Always be true to yourself and your work.

Pick and tell us about one of all your past campaigns, your personal favorite.
Yatra.com calendar (at TBWA in 2011), Airtel broadband (at Rediffusion), Pedigree and Nissan campaigns (for TBWA Middle East), Fanta (at Ogilvy Delhi) are some that I rate among my better works so far. As a creative guy, the endeavor is to never be satisfied and constantly produce work that sets a new benchmark.

What is your dream project?
There is so much to do that it is little difficult to say right now.

Who would you like to take out for dinner?
My family.

What’s on your iPod?
Punjabi Folk.

Mac or PC?
Apple…always.