Most Read of 2022: 5 Minutes with…

Eric Kallman believes that the "broken big agency model" is outdated and inefficient. In this interview with LBB's Addison Capper, Kallman discussed his desire to create an alternative to this model with his business partner, Steven Erich, when they founded their agency in 2016. He emphasised the importance of being a hands-on leader and expressed pride in the lack of attrition in his creative department. He knows first hand how bad leadership can be in this industry, which is why he said he has no advertising heroes. “I’ve worked for a lot of advertising’s ‘big names’ and most of them are horrible people if we’re being honest,” he said.

In this conversation with LBB’s Addison Capper, Julia Neumann spoke about how she believes that Johannes Leonardo’s philosophy, "The Consumer Is The Medium," has never been more relevant due to the rise of social media and the metaverse. She detailed her approach to nurturing talent and listening to her teams and how it involves creating an environment where they can thrive, encouraging creativity that is not led by fear. Julia explained why she’s proud of the Oscar Mayer ‘Meat Mask’ project, which she believes resonated within culture and showed the power of an idea that is based on a true insight and crosses borders. She reflected on how she initially studied journalism before discovering Miami Ad School and starting her career in advertising and told us about how she directed a documentary short called ‘Deporting Myself’, which premiered at the Berkshire International Film Festival and won the award for Best Short Documentary at the Coney Island Film Festival.

Andrew Swinand’s chat with LBB’s Addison Capper revealed how he sees his role at Publicis Groupe as a "coach" who helps all of the creative agencies within North America work more effectively together and accelerate growth and transformation. He emphasised his belief in the power of agency brands to attract both clients and talent, but that he also believes in the power of the collective offerings across the Groupe. The covid-19 pandemic has allowed Publicis Groupe to have an “unconventional first-mover advantage” in production, he said, as the network can now more easily tap into their production capabilities around the globe and enlist top talent from far corners to work remotely as needs arise. This allows them to better service their clients and approach their craft with a “start-up mentality”, he said.

In this interview, Nick Law discussed his dual role as creative tech and design leader, emphasising how his focus is to introduce creative minds to technology early and have them become fluent enough that they can experiment and invent. He also bemoans the lack of understanding behind the overused phrase ‘design thinking’, explaining how the key is to “connect design thinking with design making.” He also discusses the differences between working client-side and agency-side after his stint at Apple, and the importance of understanding the limitations and opportunities of different mediums in order to make the most of technology. He also discusses how he sees the role of artificial intelligence in creative work, and the importance of human creativity in shaping the future.

One of the most prominent figures in the world of advertising production, Sergio Lopez spoke to LBB about his excitement about the opportunity to work for Publicis Groupe to develop its production capabilities in close cooperation with creative and media teams. He explained his ambition to turn production into a strategic pillar for clients and create a one-stop-shop for all production-related needs and his focus on producing content that people want to engage with – all the while delivering it to the right audience through the right channels at the right time. On his belief that there is a disconnect between what consumers find engaging and what the industry rewards, he pointed to a homogenization of TV ads and a lack of recognition for work produced for social media platforms.

In a rare double-header 5 Minutes interview, Marie-Eve and David showed how they’re both passionate creative individuals who compliment each other on their strong sense of humour. Their close friendship has helped to shape their successful partnership in the advertising industry. Marie-Eve originally pursued artistic studies and ended up in advertising, where she was able to work on stories, sets, and costumes. David initially started his career in advertising as an account manager, but later switched to the creative side after feeling like he was missing out on the exciting and fulfilling aspects of the industry. Together, they reflected on notable campaigns for clients such as Air France, Bouygues Telecom, and Givenchy, and how they have found success in creating sincere and meaningful campaigns that tell compelling stories.

Another Accenture Song interview that drew a big readership this year was with Mark Curtis. Beginning with his belief that technology had become highly distractive, he argued that there was a need for a new level of discipline to prevent people from being overwhelmed by it. He suggested that this issue needed to be negotiated socially, but that government mandates and legal forces may also play a role in driving change. Mark also emphasised the importance of identity in shaping human behaviour and the influence of brands in promoting sustainable behaviour change, but noted that consumers could not be expected to lead the charge in this regard. He thinks brands, governments, and CEOs' children would all play a role in driving sustainability efforts and that collaboration was key in creating real and lasting change.

LBB’s Alex Reeves caught up with BBH London ECD after she took up the position there following two years at BBC Creative. Helen spoke about how her experiences growing up with a drama teacher mother and an artistic father influenced her interest in creativity and the arts. Throughout her career, Helen has been involved in projects and clients that have helped her grow and she detailed those in this conversation, explaining why she is particularly proud of her work with KFC, which helped turn around a decade of declining sales, and her efforts at the BBC to navigate the pandemic and communicate the importance of the organisation to the public.

Lee Simpson is the CEO of whiteGREY, an agency that has grown significantly in terms of expanding new business capabilities and its portfolio in the past few years. The agency has been recognized for its effectiveness and innovation. And as he told LBB’s Esther Faith Lew, has a focus on building an environment where people can perform at their best. Lee believes that "tension creates extraordinary" and values cognitive diversity and a culture where people are comfortable to challenge and be challenged in order to produce extraordinary results. He detailed his formula for combining technology and creativity in an agency model called ‘Platform Orchestration’ and elaborated on the crucial role of advertising in driving sustainable growth.

Ioana Filip explained in this interview with LBB’s Alex Reeves how she grew up in a family of engineers in Romania – a background that’s played into the techy leanings of her creative career. She told the story of how she first entered the ad industry as a junior copywriter at JWT after making a video explaining why she wanted to work in advertising and sending it to the CEO. Throughout her career, Ioana has sought out complex businesses and challenging projects, including working on accounts that nobody else wanted to work on, building an AI for an entire country, and tackling the issue of malaria. In 2018, she moved to Chicago to work at Energy BBDO and also studied AI at MIT. Today she says she uses her knowledge of AI to help enhance processes and change communications and operations for her clients at MRM.