#saatchiandsaatchi

On our second day in Auckland, we had the opportunity to meet with Daine Kingma, a business executive working with Saatchi and Saatchi. Throughout his time working there, Kingma has worked with many big names, such as Powerade, Gatorade, Toyota, and the Olympics. After listening to Kingma speak, I finally realized how much culture and location truly plays into advertising. Not only in regards to who the advertisement’s target market is, but also in terms of celebrity endorsers. 

The All Blacks are the most famous team in New Zealand, and according to Kingma, one of the strongest brands in the nation. It would make sense for advertisers and sponsors to use these rugby players within their commercials and ads. However, Kingma brought up a very interesting point. 

Unlike American athletes, many New Zealand athletes are not media-trained. If a person is media-trained, it means that they are charismatic and generally well-liked by the public. Americans take this for granted, because everyone grows up connected to some sort of civilization. However, Kiwi sport stars, like many of the rugby players on the All Blacks, grow up in extremely rural areas, talking only to people of their kind. 

Globetrotting creative director Mark Carolan spoke with Little Black Book about life at Saatchi L.A., the joys (and perils) of freelancing, and his upcoming role as an AD STARS final judge.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to hop from agency to agency, or from city to city, when new opportunities arise, then Mark Carolan is the person to ask. He spent almost 10 years travelling the world as a freelance creative director, jumping from Barcelona to Riga, Sydney, Taipei, Singapore, Los Angeles and London.

After almost a decade on the road, he joined Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles in 2016, where he helped to create Toyota’s first-ever global marketing campaign. We asked him how his travels have shaped him as a creative, what it takes to ‘make it’ as a freelancer, and why he’s joining the final jury AD STARS 2020.

You’re joining the jury at AD STARS. What are you most looking forward to?

I first judged AD STARS back in 2011, when I was living and working out of Bali. Whenever I’m given an opportunity to judge or advise on work around the world, I’m more than honoured to help out. I’ve always seen AD STARS as a forward thinking show and I very much believe and support the ‘five Key Concepts’ that it stands for.

You’ve worked everywhere from JWT London to Batey Singapore and StrawberryFrog Amsterdam. Where are you from originally?

I’m originally from England but I’ve been ‘on the road’ for some time. I’ve been extremely lucky and honoured to work in many countries around the globe. Everyone has further opened my mind to new ideas by taking in new cultures and thinking. It has helped tremendously well with working on global projects, having a head start on what will and what won’t work in certain markets.

What’s the secret to excelling as a freelance creative?

The life of a freelance creative is a roller coaster ride! There are moments when the phone won’t stop ringing and others when you’re checking to see if the phone is charged because it’s not making a sound. One of the biggest hurdles to overcome is knowing when to switch off. Freelancers don’t get to really have a break, there’s a feeling you need to be on call 24/7 so knowing – and believing – that the phone will ring again and projects will happen is important. So when you do get a quiet week, rather than panicking, please learn to relax and embrace it.

When you look back on your life as a freelance CD in cities around the world, are there any experiences that you remember most (or least) fondly?  

The flexibility of freelancing is something I loved, to be able to work across many countries on many different brands and segments. One minute I’d be in Spain shooting a project for Real Madrid FC, then getting a call to fly to Taipei the next day to work on a global launch for HTC. It was exciting, it was hectic, but it isn’t for everyone!

I’ve loved every city and country I’ve worked in, especially when I got spend some time in each getting to embrace the texture and vibrancy in each, as well as meeting new folk. I’m blessed I’ve made – and kept in touch with – many great friends along the way.

Of all the cities you could have chosen for your next adventure, why LA?

I’ve ticked off a lot of my ‘bucket-list’ cities to live and work; London, Amsterdam, Sydney, Barcelona, Bali, Singapore, Taipei, Beijing, Riga, etc, and LA has always been near the top of my list. It’s an incredibly vibrant city and just as the advert says, it’s full of opportunities. As well as sunshine, sea and sand! On top of that, I get to be here working in one of the best agencies in the world and on one of the biggest brands in the world.

What does your typical day look like?

We’re in a covid-world so most of my day is now unfortunately on Zoom (or Teams) and often starts a little earlier so I can connect with the teams in the Dallas office (who are two hours ahead of me). One advantage to living in LA is my desk is now in my garden, which I often get to walk through in between calls, to stretch my legs and freshen my mind.

One ritual I’m trying to keep to is my family, and I will take a quick trip to the beach before my day starts or after my day ends. The cold sea helps shake a lot off!

Do you have a process – is there a way you work through a problem?

I don’t have a particular process, but my projects start with a good sit-down with the strategists to pick their brains for ways out of a brief. They are the smartest folk in the room and I love discussing ways to give the creative teams as much juicy fodder as possible.

Once we’re into the creative process, it’s all about expanding the mind as much as possible and exploring the most impactful way to deliver the story we want to tell. Our audience have become both more sophisticated in accepting messages as well as being jaded and suspicious of them, so we need to find the right balance to both entertain and inform.

What kind of kid were you: studious, nerdy, curious, weird?? Who was your earliest creative influence?

I grew up in a small town in Yorkshire in the North of England, and led a wonderful, simple and adventurous life. I was mostly outdoors, running around the nearby forest with my friends, camping out, falling off swings into rivers. Proper ‘Famous Five’ adventures. 

For as long as I remember, I’ve always wanted to work in the creative field. I drew cartoons for my local newspaper when I was fifteen, set up a mural company when I was sixteen and my ‘career’ has been pretty random ever since; I’ve designed furniture, (badly) directed commercials, set up fashion brands, illustrated, painted and photographed.

* Read Mark’s original interview with Little Black Book. He will judge the Design and Print categories at AD STARS 2020. Winners will be announced on 7th September, 2020. 

_@tokyo_bits

Brazilian creative Luciana Cani brings 23 years of experience across four different continents to her upcoming gig as a Final Judge at the AD STARS 2020. We are delighted to welcome her to this year’s jury!

In early 2019, Luciana Cani moved to Tokyo to join Saatchi & Saatchi Japan as Executive Creative Director, where she’s working with global brands like Expedia. Originally from Brazil, Cani has worked all over the globe from LAPIZ in Chicago, where she was senior vice president and executive creative director, to Leo Burnett Lisbon, which she helped to become one of the 10 most awarded agencies in the world. She appeared three times at the top of the rankings of the official Creative Club of Portugal.

Outside of advertising, Cani is a children’s book author and an avid photographer – she has been documenting her adventures in Japan on Instagram (@tokyo_bits). Her work has gained global recognition including awards from D&AD, Cannes, One Show, Clios, Eurobest and ADCE.

You are a Final Judge at AD STARS 2020. Why did you accept the invitation to join the jury this year?

It will be my first time judging AD STARS and to be invited to be part of this Festival is a tremendous opportunity to connect with more professionals and see the work in the region and the world. We always learn when we exchange experiences with new people. I am looking forward to it. Thank you for the invitation.

What is the creative culture like at Saatchi & Saatchi Tokyo – how does it match your own values as a creative?

Saatchi & Saatchi Tokyo is the international arm of Publicis Groupe in Japan. I’ve always believed that combining people from different cultures and backgrounds is the best way to produce good work. That’s the Saatchi approach here.

You joined Saatchi & Saatchi Tokyo as ECD in early 2019. Was it a culture shock moving to Tokyo from the USA?

Japan is the third country I’ve lived in as a foreigner. At this point, my experience showed me that the best way to embrace a new culture is to do it with an open heart and mind. I didn’t come here looking for things that would seem familiar to me. I did that in other countries before and I learned it just made my adaptation to a new culture a little bit slower. I moved to Tokyo feeling ready to embrace the differences.

My approach to deal with new work cultures is always to respect, learn and do my best to add some value that I can contribute from past experiences. I really respect the Japanese colleagues I work with.  I learn from them every day and hope they are also learning from me, with my different background and experiences before I moved here. It has been smooth so far. I feel good and welcome.

Are you working on any interesting projects right now?

One of the biggest Saatchi clients here is Expedia. We work closely with the global team and it has been very interesting to work with this big brand in a time like this. We have been very busy and I am learning a lot in the process.

You are from Brazil, and have lived in Portugal, the USA and Japan. Why have you always been curious to experience other cultures?

I was never one to see my professional life completely disconnected from my personal life. For me, it has always been a journey of pursuing growth on both sides. And I knew and hoped that this career could be a great way to see the world, meet great people and live amazing experiences. Traveling and getting to know other cultures was always a big dream of mine.

When I first moved from my home country to Portugal, I went there with the idea of a starting point, not a final destination. After that, other opportunities came by and I embraced them. And with them, came personal growth and the opportunity to work with brands on a global scale in different continents with great clients and colleagues.

Looking back, thanks to these experiences, I can understand better who I am as a creative. I know I can adapt, but I also know how I like to work, how I can perform better and what kind of work culture is the best for me.

You believe that ‘happy people produce better work’. Agencies are becoming more aware of their responsibility to look after the mental health of creatives: what is your approach as a creative leader?

I respect and believe that a competitive environment can bring results, sometimes very quick. But this is not my approach. The best work I produced was when I was happy working in a very collaborative environment.

I learned with a former boss I had that if you put the focus on the particular strength of every individual, he/she will perform happier and better. And you will probably retain that talent for a longer period.  It happened with me and it was a turning point in my career. Since then, I have this approach as my leadership model. Basically, the idea is to get to know all the members of your team and ensure that they can contribute with different skills in different parts of the process, regardless of their title.

When you force yourself to avoid seeing the members of your team through the lens of their specific title in the hierarchy — that makes all the difference. I also like to put myself in my team’s shoes all the time and ask myself the question: as a member of this team, would you like to be treated that way? If the answer is yes, I make the decision.

There are still fewer female ECDs in advertising than men; and now the industry is grappling with the Black Lives Matter movement, too. How can agencies do better at diversity?

Agencies are recruiting more diverse professionals. But the key thing is how to retain and help them grow. Retaining talent is crucial to consolidating change. Hiring is not enough. It’s the first step only. For example, what kind of environment are we championing to make these professionals an integral part of the agency?

I loved your article about being ‘monogamous’ with your chosen industry.  How are you keeping the “spark alive” in your advertising career right now?

In these 23 years, I’ve had many ups and downs. But I made peace with these low moments. I think it’s normal and more common than people like to admit. Sometimes things don’t go well, our best idea is not approved, we don’t win a pitch we worked on for months, the leadership of our agency changes and it doesn’t match our beliefs – there are so many things that can go wrong or sideways.

My way to keep the spark alive has been to sometimes concentrate and focus on side projects. These parallel projects allow me to unleash my creativity with no constraints. And it can be anything. In Lisbon, I published a children’s book. Here in Tokyo, I’ve created an Instagram account highlighting my experiences as a foreigner in Japan.  And now, during the quarantine, I have just started another children’s book based on a real story.

So if I am ever bored or frustrated, I turn my energy to these projects and then suddenly I feel happy and accomplished again. After a while, these side projects help me recharge so I can give everything to work again.

Do you have any rules or rituals that you live by?

I am an early bird. I absolutely love mornings. I feel productive and happy when I can do my personal things before work starts. In Tokyo it became harder, because of the time zone, all my friends are awake while I am sleeping. So I use the early mornings to catch up with friends and family too. I don’t use an alarm clock anymore and around 5:30 I am awake and active.

How did you find your voice as a creative? What makes you angry? What brings you joy? What sets your soul on fire?

I am constantly looking for inspiration outside of my field. Projects that are driven by the heart and not by money excite me. It can be a podcast or an Instagram account, any project that people do just because they feel like doing it. It inspires me and pushes me to overcome constraints and be the best creative I can. I don’t get angry easily, but some pitch processes can make me very upset. (It can be disrespectful sometimes.)

What kind of kid were you: studious, nerdy, curious, cheeky?? Who was your earliest creative influence?

I was very studious and responsible at school. I always loved books and authors. They were my passion, especially real stories and biographies. To this day I still think that I should have started as a copywriter.

Luciana Cani is judging the Interactive, Integrated, Innovation, Mobile, Data, Insights, Social & Influencer categories at AD STARS 2020. Winners will be revealed on Monday 7th September! Follow her on Instagram via @tokyo_bits