Rikard Köhler’s Hands-on Approach to Human Stories

Rikard Köhler’s involvement in the creative spheres began with his interest in people. And, as anybody interested in people, his first steps towards a career had journalism in mind. “What I liked about journalism is how varied and hands-on it is,” Rikard says. “The shift, however, from writing to a more all-encompassing creative take started when I was studying abroad in Los Angeles.” At that time Rikard was the editor-in-chief of his college’s magazine, which put him in a position to look over all aspects of the publication, not just the copy. “Although I was still hellbent on becoming a journalist, my time in LA had sparked an interest in the visual medium. This interest grew even stronger when I returned to Sweden and struggled to find a job that I wanted. The job opportunities that presented themselves after studying journalism veered more towards the communications side, which also allowed me to humour my itch for visual communication. So, while I was still looking for work, I decided to entertain the visual media idea that I picked up in LA and applied to the digital media program at Stockholm University.” 

Before he knew it, Rikard was back in school two months later, sitting hunched over the computer in his tiny apartment way into the early hours of the morning, working on his first animation project. Although it’s a time he looks back at with great fondness, and one where he got to explore all the applications he found interest in, such as Photoshop and After Effects, his studies at Stockholm University were cut rather short. “While I was struggling with a batch of less creative programming courses, I was offered a job as a copywriter at a start-up called Glue. So, I took the job and dropped out of university.”

There is where Rikard found himself working beyond his limits once again. His role included writing copy, but also designing ads, shooting videos and developing communicative concepts. And while he truly enjoyed writing, his interest in the visual side of things only grew through his experience at Glue, which led to what he later will call his “actual jump” between his initially imagined journalistic career, and his current one in advertising - applying to Berghs School of Communication. To his “utter surprise,” Rikard was soon accepted and, once more, started his classes in the fall of 2017. “It wasn’t long before I realised I thrived. The people I studied with me were ambitious but open and friendly. The way the courses were structured suited me well as they focused more on practical learning from industry professionals, rather than a traditional academic approach. Almost every project was structured like real client work, and sometimes it actually was. This hands-on approach really did prepare me for what to expect from the industry.”

Although between journalism and advertising, the first and most obvious overlap for Rikard is his hands-on approach, he tells me about some other transferable learnings between the two fields. “Preparation,” he simply says. “Similarly to how a good article is a product of a well-executed plan, an effective communicative concept depends on the leg work, i.e. strategy, relation to the client and relation to the end consumer.” 

“In advertising terms, as a journalist, you’re taking on the role of a client, a planner, a project manager and a creative at the same time, but on a micro-level,” explains the art director. “First, you need to act as the client, deciding on what you want to highlight, i.e. what’s the story. Then you’re stepping into the planner phase, digging up all the background info you can find, and formulating hypotheses that are to be tested when interviewing people. In the PM phase, you’re responsible for getting ahold of people you want to interview, making them trust that their story is in good hands. And last but not least, you’re a creative, picking up the pen and actually writing the story.”

But to him, one of the most significant differences between the two fields is teamwork. In his experience, Rikard explains that journalism tends to be more of a lone-wolf occupation and  the work happens a lot more “in silos, with everyone working on their own stories.” When it comes to advertising, team effort is paramount, not only within an agency or production company but at every level of the chain, including clients. With journalism, ideas could be born out of reflection and deliberate delving into the subject matter. With advertising, keeping things in the air is sometimes just as, if not more important. 

After making the full transition from journalism to the advertising industry, and with some years of freelancing under his belt, Rikard can look back to reflect on what connected his experiences all over the creative spectrum. “I think the process of constantly learning new things and taking part in people’s stories has always been there,” he explains. “And by extension, packaging them and passing them along. The further into my career that I’ve got, I’ve come to realise that I enjoy shaping and being a part of these stories, which is why I’m grateful I get to work in the advertising industry.” Being part of those stories that he so loves is, to Rikard, the biggest upside of advertising.

Those stories quickly took shape as some of Rikard’s best work. As a “make or break” moment in his career, the art director points to ‘Eat a Swede’ and the entire campaign surrounding it. By the time he had graduated from Berghs School of Communication, he had teamed up with his classmate and copywriter Erik Nyström. Together, the two started working at McCann Stockholm, and at the very beginning of their time there, they received the brief from the Swedish Food Federation, presenting them with the task to come up with a truly disruptive concept, catered to a younger audience that puts sustainability – Swedish values and Swedish food “front and centre”. Rikard immediately recognised the sheer craziness coming out of the infamous campaign, so he explains that at every step of the way he was expecting somebody to pull the plug on the idea. 

“But no one did. On the contrary, we decided to pick it up, develop it and present it to the client. Again, I was certain that they would pull the plug… But they didn’t. In fact, they presented it to their board. Did the board pull the plug? No. Was I surprised? Gobsmacked.” From there, Rikard and the team rushed to produce the outlandish concept, which everybody knew wouldn’t be done justice in a 30 second TVC. “So, we took the mockumentary route. We brought on a talented director, Daniel Hallberg, to help us bring the idea home. Soon we found ourselves on set in a strange lab one day, in New York the next and on the phone with Alexander Skarsgård on the very next. It was absolutely insane, terrifying and hilarious seeing it slowly come to life.” Those were probably the exact emotions audiences felt seeing the campaign for the first time on screen. Although it had to wait until November 2021 due to covid striking mere days before its planned launch, Rikard’s make or break project in the face of ‘Eat a Swede’ finally took off with fantastic momentum. “We were awarded a Grand Prix, two silvers, a bronze and nine shortlists during the Cannes Lions Festival. A feat for which I’m speechless and immensely grateful for.”

“For me, this was a project of a lifetime. We had a fantastic team that went above and beyond to make this happen, and we had an amazing client, in fact probably the bravest client I will ever work with. To be part of such a big, daring project so early on in my career taught me that even the craziest of ideas should be entertained and that trust from the client is essential for making them a reality.”

So, as somebody who started with ambitions pointed at a career in journalism and ended up making a mockumentary on cannibalism, Rikard definitely has some stories to tell - and these are still the largest part of his love for the communications field. To him, those stories are best found in dimly lit brainstorming rooms, with round tables cluttered with A4 papers and sharpies, where nobody is afraid to throw an idea up in the dense air. “That moment when people come together, finding each other in an idea, is such a rush. And it’s my favourite part of the job, the creative sessions early on. The magic that happens when you’re in that room, it finally clicks and all the pieces start coming together.”