The Work That Made Chris Zawada
Chris Zawada began his career in Toronto at FutureBrand, where he had the opportunity to work on national and international brands, including Coca-Cola, Cadbury, RBC, Heinz, and Empresas Polar. Before founding Full Punch, Chris was the creative director at several world-renowned agencies, including TAXI and Cossette, leading creative for TELUS, McDonald’s, WestJet and MINI, to name a few. Along the way, Chris also found the time to create one of the world’s most popular packaging design sites lovelypackage.com. Chris champions beautiful design with purpose at Full Punch, leading the creative department and directing a wide range of projects encompassing digital, product development, advertising, content, and, of course, design.
The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me...
Chris> I am part of the music video generation, and AHA's 'Take On Me' is the epitome of that era, featuring cutting-edge VFX, storytelling, and big hair. Not to mention, it's a great track that still holds up today.
The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry...
Chris> I saw a commercial for a Swedish newspaper on one of those funniest commercials on TV shows. This was the first time I realised that a strong insight can lead to a great concept and that even a seemingly dull subject, like a newspaper, can be sold in a creative and memorable way.
The creative work that I keep revisiting...
Chris> Rick Rubin's 'The Creative Act' is a treasure trove of insights for anyone interested in creativity. What I love about this book is that it is not limited to a single creative discipline; instead, it explores creativity as a universal concept that applies to all backgrounds. This has become the most dog-eared and highlighted book in my library.
My first professional project...
Chris> I began my career as a designer with a primary focus on packaging design. My first significant project was the redesign of Dunlop’s entire golf ball line. It was indeed a trial by fire; I felt out of my league. However, I had a great mentor in my creative director, Jim Dollery, who trusted me and provided guidance along the way.
The piece of work that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*...
Chris> 90% of the crap that’s out there. Seriously, when you take a moment to step back from the work we celebrate in the industry, you realise that the quality of work we praise represents only a small fraction of what’s out there. The majority is far from impressive. This serves as a constant reminder for us to strive for improvement.
The piece of work that still makes me jealous...
Chris> The Bing/Decoded campaign is a masterclass in pairing creativity, media buying and technology to create a truly unique consumer experience. I still remember the first time I watched Droga5’s tear-down video for the campaign, thinking, “how the hell did they pull this off?” It still holds up today.
The work that I’m proudest of...
Chris> When we launched Full Punch, our goal was to give back to the creative industry in Canada. Mental well-being is a significant issue in society, particularly within our industry. We recognised that not everyone has access to care and counselling, so we partnered with WIRTH Hats to create the Hotline Hat. Featuring the Wellness Together Canada emergency phone number, this hat puts mental well-being top of mind, literally. For every hat sold, we provide one hour of free counselling to those who need it most.
I was involved in this and it makes me cringe...
Chris> During my time at TAXI, I was the lead designer responsible for rebranding a Canadian financial institution that shall remain unnamed. In short, the project was a textbook example of decision-making by committee. Ultimately, it dragged on for too long, resulting in a brand that appeared to be designed by a committee. I still have PTSD from this experience.
The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most...
Chris> We just wrapped up a project for Kabam Games to promote the launch of Marvel Contest of Champions game on PC. I am proud of our team for successfully executing a unique and creative concept that departs from the conventional, gameplay-focused tactical ads typically used to market video games. Special thanks to our Creative Director, Kyle Darbyson, for transforming Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' into this Marvel masterpiece.
