Nhien Nguyen on the Importance of Artistic Evolution

Nhien Nguyen is a senior art director with over six years of experience crafting bold, integrated campaigns across advertising agencies including MullenLowe, Big Spaceship, Carmichael Lynch, and currently, H/L.

Her work spans major national brands like Bush’s Beans, Subaru, Burger King, Starbucks, JetBlue, AXE, and Toyota. Career highlights include leading creative on a Super Bowl campaign featuring Peyton Manning for Bush’s Beans, drawing viral buzz for Burger King on social media, increased adoption rates for older and special-needs dogs through Subaru’s beloved ‘National Make A Dog’s Day’ campaign, and helping establish the look and feel for Starbucks’ 50th anniversary campaign.

Currently at H/L, she’s contributed to the early creative partnership between Brock Purdy and Toyota, and hopes to continue to help the brand establish a strong presence in Northern California.

LBB> Person - What kind of creative person are you?

Nhien> I’ve always been someone who feels deeply and is highly sensitive to what’s happening around me. I allow this to guide me when coming up with creative ideas, because I believe how something makes others feel is the strongest way to make people remember your work. At the end of the day, people yearn for connection and the ability to see themselves in others, and as a creative, it’s my job to build a bridge for that connection.

As an introvert, if there’s one thing I wish for others in the industry to know about creative introverts, it’s that we’re not without opinion – we’re just contemplating on which one to share. That being said, I admit that I can be too contemplative and too much of a perfectionist sometimes, and I’m still learning how to allow myself to make mistakes more freely.

I’m hoping to get more into hobbies that’ll allow me to create without resolve – whether that’s making something malleable with my hands through pottery, painting, drawing, or whatever I feel like. I hope that by allowing myself to welcome mistakes more, it’ll make me a better creative in the long run.

I also hope to tap into my rebellious side more. I’m inspired and excited by ideas that bend the rules, and I’m always up for working on things that I haven’t before or creating through methods that make me uncomfortable. The landscape is always evolving, and so should we as creatives.

LBB> Product - How do you judge the creativity of a piece of work?

Nhien> We all know that evaluating creative work is extremely subjective; I can tell you what I think makes something good or bad, and it may change in a couple years. Right now, to me, the best or most successful creative work are the ones that are able to convey a message simply while also making you feel something. Bonus points if they can do it in a clever and/or visually interesting way.

However, I think sometimes in our attempt at being too clever or impressive to others in the industry, we lose our ability to translate that message to our audience. It’s definitely a fine balance to strike.

I also think it’s important to try to constantly push a brand forward (even in small ways), while still preserving the qualities that make a brand true to what they are. When I had Bush's Beans as a client, we were able to breathe new life into a heritage brand and evolve it into something that was more elevated, energetic, and embraced absurdity, all while still staying true to who it is at its core.

Specifically, one of the most memorable campaigns we did for Bush’s Beans was for the Super Bowl. We took the iconic mascots it’s had since the inception of the brand and had them coach Peyton Manning on how to be a Bush’s spokesperson. We even made a motivational talking can opener using the voice of Peyton Canning to coach people at home, and it sold out within minutes of release. While challenging at the time, these ideas ultimately helped push the brand in the right direction, and selfishly, they were so fun to bring to life.

LBB> Process - Tell us about how you like to make creative work.

Nhien> I’m definitely someone who needs time to sit with their thoughts. I treat the brief like my bible: I study the ins and outs of it, and constantly refer back to it. A truly good brief can make or break everything! I then dive into the depths of the internet for inspiration, learning what I can about the subject matter through articles and what it looks like via a social lens, and finding drool-worthy visual inspiration on Pinterest or award annuals.

Sometimes, stepping away from it all helps too. When I’m really stumped, I turn to friends and family to get their thoughts. Sometimes it’s helpful to get an outside opinion, especially when you’re deep in the trenches. Your work is typically supposed to resonate with a broader audience anyway, so why not ask people outside of your creative bubble?

What I find most important, though, is to just start, even if it’s bad and doesn’t make any sense. For me, what makes up a large part of the creative process is refinement. In terms of collaboration I’ve found it most efficient when my partner and I are able to take the time to ideate on our own, then come together to see what other spur-of-the-moment things can come from our discussions and how we can make each other’s ideas better.

As an art director, I’ve found it immensely valuable to keep a mega library of work you’re inspired by. I categorise mine by things like subject, cinematography, special effects or techniques, and so forth. My future self thanks me every time I need to reference something.

LBB> Press - What external factors have shaped you and what can make or break a creative project?

Nhien> As a Vietnamese American from a family of immigrants, I grew up around people who worked in everything but the creative field. I’ve also moved a handful of times and spent some time living in various regions of the US. Being in all sorts of environments and around those from different industries and backgrounds have helped broaden my view of different cultures and people in general.

As for my craft, I’ve learned practically everything through online tutorials. I feel like the best way to sharpen your skills is by imitating people who are really good, and then just doing things over and over again until you gain more confidence. During stressful moments, I’ve found staying organised helps you retain some semblance of control while you figure all the other stuff out. I try to stay calm during pressure too, although it’s definitely easier said than done to not put your emotions into your work.

My advice to clients looking to get the best out of their creative teams and agencies would be to treat it like a collaborative partnership and to keep an open mind. The best and most successful campaigns may have begun from a humble idea that could’ve sounded a little scary or silly at first, but ended up paving the way and being an inspiration to other brands.