Pro Hello: Nicholas Lam
Nicholas is one of the most acclaimed Asian American advertising directors working today. Renowned for a unique ability to find beauty in the everyday, he has crafted international campaigns for brands like Google, Samsung, vivo, HSBC, Toyota, Kia, Dewars, Nestlé and Timberland. His signature visual language – a fusion of polished grit and emotive spontaneity – has attracted global agencies as BBDO, Ogilvy, dentsu, Publicis and VML, creating campaigns recognised and awarded by the Cannes Lions, Clios, Promax, Tellys, 1.4, Kinsale Sharks, Citra Pariwara, Shots Showcase and more.
In the music world, Nicholas has directed videos for artists including Nick Jonas, Blink-182, Sara Bareilles, Bastille, Divine, J Hus, Jess Glynne and Monsta X. Notably, he is the first American ever to garner an MTV VMA nomination for Best K-Pop.
A noted thought leader in minority representation, Nicholas has published articles on diversity, culture and artificial intelligence. His work and editorials have been featured in leading
publications such as Vogue, The LA Times, Rolling Stone, Variety, Billboard, Complex, Forbes, Campaign Brief and The Telegraph, amplifying his voice in both the entertainment and cultural landscapes.
Today, Nicholas reflects on the biggest life change he'll never regret.
LBB> What do you do, and where are you based?
Nicholas> I’m a commercial director based in LA, working globally. I started as a BTS and live sessions videographer, became a music video director, and if you ask me again in five years, will hopefully add TV and features director to that CV.
LBB> What recent campaigns might we know you from, and what was your input on these campaigns?
Nicholas> If it’s the Cannes YDA’s, you’ll know me for my anime music video 'Lie for You' for Jess Glynne and Snakehips. If it’s the Clios, Tellys or Promax Awards, it’ll be my MTV spot 'Drinking Alone with the Moon' for AAPI Heritage Month. If it’s the MTV VMAs, it’s that I was the very first American director to ever have a video (Monsta X’s 'Someone’s Someone') nominated for Best K-Pop. More recently, for the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics, it was my Toyota 'Start Your Impossible' campaign for the entire APAC region that made a bit of a splash.
LBB> How did you first get into the industry, and how did you realise what you wanted to do?
Nicholas> I moonlighted as a bartender when starting out. Five years in, I was managing three bars in Hollywood, traveling the country competing in mixology competitions, driving an obnoxiously loud Corvette and living the fast life – but knew that if I didn’t take the plunge, I’d eventually retire as a bar owner. And I would always, always regret not taking a chance on my dream.
Thankfully, I had been mostly saving (and investing) my earnings while my colleagues were out blowing theirs at the very same places they worked. So, like so many other 'distractions' in my life – alcohol or toxic people, to name two – I quit nightlife cold turkey. I relied on my nest egg while accepting any and every meagre job I could drum up through friends, cold emails or websites that promised to connect filmmakers to legitimate briefs and paying clients.
Thankfully, I had been mostly saving (and investing) my earnings while my colleagues were out blowing theirs at the very same places they worked. So, like so many other 'distractions' in my life – alcohol or toxic people, to name two – I quit nightlife cold turkey. I relied on my nest egg while accepting any and every meagre job I could drum up through friends, cold emails or websites that promised to connect filmmakers to legitimate briefs and paying clients.
A bit of advice: the latter two almost never work. It’s always who you know, and who’s willing to take that first leap of faith on you.
LBB> Tell us about your journey so far.
Nicholas> My journey is a story of mentors who challenged my preconceived notions, colleagues who were not afraid to ask “why?” when I said I wanted something a certain way, and eventually, being able to pay it forward by mentoring up-and-coming AAPI and LGBTQ+ filmmakers. I believe that you cannot be what you cannot see. It’s incumbent upon us who were ourselves given opportunities not often afforded to those who looked, spoke or presented like us, to similarly open doors, take leaps of faith and advocate for younger talent. Believing in yourself only walks you up to the gate. Having others believe in you bulldozes that gate down.
LBB> What projects / campaigns that you’ve been involved in have been the most personally satisfying to work on, and why?
Nicholas> I always impart a little something of myself into every campaign I direct. I mean, It’s literally the job – to find a way into the story through your life and lens. But the most recent film I completed for HSBC Bank – recent as in I’m on a flight back to LA from that very shoot as we speak – was likely my most personal work yet. The narrative closely mirrors the major events of my own life. It’s about a boy who grows up humbly, travels the world, and with the love for his family being the guiding light through his hardest of times, ultimately realises his full potential.
LBB> What’s been your proudest achievement?
Nicholas> Recognising when my POV as a filmmaker evolved from wanting to show the darker side of humanity to wanting to show the inherent goodness in people. While we all enjoy a good cry, I’d rather illicit such emotion by portraying the lengths people go to lift each other up rather than by how capable we are at hurting one another. Making people feel interests me, but making people suffer does not.
LBB> What do people (clients, agencies etc) come to you for specifically?
Nicholas> I’d like to think it’s for my grounded, emotionally-nuanced storytelling that prioritises truthful performance and a beauty in life’s imperfection.
LBB> What are your strongest opinions relating to your specific field?
Nicholas> That we are such an ageist, male-dominated and risk averse industry. It’s easy to say no. It’s takes real gumption (read: balls) to say yes, to take a chance. One of the best CCOs I’ve ever worked for once told me that transcendent, award-winning work only comes when you’re willing to challenge – and even break – a rule or an authority. That prevailing 'authority' has long been the patriarchy. Whitewashing. The fetishisation of youth over experience. We see the same names getting the same big work over and over again because we as an industry are not willing to take enough risks and are effectively muzzling an entire spectrum of stories as a result.
LBB> What sort of projects really get you excited at the moment?
Nicholas> Sincere, heartful creative. Sincere, heartful creatives. And ideally, a sincere and heartfelt budget.
LBB> Who are your creative heroes, and why?
Nicholas> I think we need to talk about Christopher Nolan. Anything he touches is an absolute masterclass in the craft (let’s just pretend 'Tenet' never happened, ok?). He showed us what it means to bring intellect, pathos and gravitas back into movies. He proved that original IP sells. And my God, did he remind us that sound is indeed 50% of the experience. He is absolutely among the pantheon of next-gen greats, alongside the likes of Denis Villaneuve, Bong Joon-Ho, Ava DuVernay, Joseph Kosinski and Greta Gerwig. I also hear he also wears suit jackets on set. That’s just righteous.
LBB> Outside of the day job, what fuels your creativity?
Nicholas> Staying curious. Listening more than talking. Seeing what road my instincts lead me down. Being of service to others and discovering that it may be the real meaning to life... and Instagram.
