Pro Hello: Damian Asling
Damian Asling is a creative director and copywriter with over 15 years of experience making brands part of culture. From big brand platforms to earned-first ideas, his work spans advertising, PR, digital and everything in between. He’s worked with global brands like Amazon, Heinz, BMW and Gatorade, delivering ideas that sell things, start conversations and change people's perspectives. His work has been recognised at Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show and The Webby Awards.
Today, Damian tells us about his journey so far.
LBB> What do you do, and where are you based?
Damian> I’m a creative director and writer based in London. I make audacious ideas, whether they’re expressed through brand platforms, PR stunts, campaigns or content. I like to think of my job as taking a business challenge and responding to it with something creative, entertaining or culturally relevant.
LBB> What recent campaigns might we know you from, and what was your input on these campaigns?
Damian> We worked with Heinz to relaunch their Soup range, and to do it in a way that stood out from the crowd. So we delved into the origins of soup, going all the way back to the primordial soup. In fact for centuries, across the globe, humanity has been depicting soup in art, ceramics, sculptures and other culturally significant objects. Recognising that soup has been a driving force behind humanity's progress and a subject of artistic depictions throughout history, we realised that despite changing cultures, tastes and ingredients, soup remains beloved and enduring.
My role in these kinds of projects has always been about making the work sharper. Finding and cultivating the right insights and ideas for the right brief, ways to bring the idea to life by tapping into emerging tech and/or culture in the right way, writing lines that make it land, and pushing for something that earns its place in the world.
LBB> How did you first get into the industry, and how did you realise what you wanted to do?
Damian> I started out in game studies, design and digital products but quickly realised my real passion was ideas. I took on a role at a tech startup where I led creative across everything from brand to digital product, but I found myself drawn to advertising. The fast pace, the variety and the ability to shape how brands show up in the world appealed to my creative instincts. I then moved to an integrated agency, and that’s where I found my home; working across every medium and solving problems with creativity.
LBB> Tell us about your journey so far.
Damian> After my time in tech startups and digital agencies, I joined Clemenger BBDO Melbourne. I was there when James McGrath and the creative team won 56 lions, it was really a moment to behold. After Clemenger I moved to TBWA Sydney to work with Evan Roberts and the creative team there. Along the way, I’ve been lucky to work with insanely talented colleagues and big global brands, picked up a few awards, worked with teams in New York and Los Angeles, and been part of ideas that genuinely moved the needle of culture.
Now, I’m focused on doing more of the kind of work I love, making globally relevant ideas beyond 'just advertising'.
LBB> What projects / campaigns that you’ve been involved in have been the most personally satisfying to work on, and why?
Damian> I've worked on a few really amazing projects, and the thing they all had in common is that they were all "unexpected" in one form or another. I think great work surprises people.
We worked with Myer (Australia’s #1 Department Store) to digitally transform their entire business, from brand marketing, their eCommerce offering, to brick-and-mortar stores. We helped them push beyond their comfort zone towards culturally relevant, genuinely interesting and differently-shaped ideas that blended physical and digital worlds like the Naughty or Nice Bauble.
The Naughty or Nice Bauble was a connected Christmas ornament with a direct link to Santa. It shows you whether Santa thinks you’ve been naughty or nice using red or green lights. Then a large-scale Digital OOH told people how 'Naughty or Nice' the whole country was using a 'magical API'.
The Naughty or Nice Bauble for Myer was satisfying to work on because it was more than a simple TV ad. If you asked someone whether or not they would buy an ad and take it home to put on their Christmas tree, chances are most people would say “no”, but it sold out in 11 days.
I believe true long-term brand building requires timeless ideas. The ideas that can stretch far beyond a singular moment or epoch is something I'm always looking for when appraising or making work. Tapping into the latest tech helped us deliver on our insight of connecting families to moments of Christmas magic.
So it was pretty cool being part of the team that brought that project to life.
LBB> What’s been your proudest achievement?
Damian> My proudest achievement is that I get to use my imagination to make a living. There's a unique kick you get when you make work that gets talked about, and seeing something you’ve worked on gets picked up by culture. Maybe it's a campaign getting press, a stunt going viral, a brand idea shifting perceptions, an OOH you made at the bus stop while you wait for your ride home, or a standee in the bottle shop showcasing this week's specials.
I think all ad creatives should be proud when they see the creative work they make on the canvas of consumer media in the gallery of the world.
LBB> What do people (clients, agencies, etc.) come to you for specifically?
Damian> They come to me when they want ideas that don’t feel like advertising. To solve tricky problems that require different ways of thinking.
LBB> What are your strongest opinions relating to your specific field?
Damian> AI will change everything except good taste. Interactivity doesn't always need electricity.
LBB> What sort of projects really get you excited at the moment?
Damian> It feels like people want funny work again because they are tired of brands claiming 'authenticity' in an inauthentic way. The work that’s out there that I think is exciting is the stuff that’s pushing boundaries, things that are weirder, more arresting, and ultimately more interesting by using storytelling that’s 'larger than life' vs. 'slice of life'.
In terms of my own work I am working on a longer-form, non-advertising creative writing project. Which is a really fun way to explore character and story in a new way.
LBB> Who are your creative heroes, and why?
Damian> From ad-land -- working with James McGrath, Stephen DeWolf, Evan Roberts, Carmela Soares and the entire Clemenger BBDO Melbourne creative leadership team, who all taught me the importance of setting a high standard and that creativity is always the answer.
From the world of game design – Shigeru Miyamoto, who captured my five-year-old-self's imagination with ideas and stories told through technology.
From literature – JRR Tolkein, who wrote and built such phenomenal worlds that we are still talking about them, dissecting them and their ideas, and being inspired by them today.
LBB> Outside of the day job, what fuels your creativity?
Damian> I’m always looking for creative inspiration from unexpected sources. Lately I’ve been listening to a podcast called Otherworldly, which is about everyday people’s encounters with ghosts, the supernatural and more. I’ve also had trouble sleeping, but I’m sure the two aren’t related...
