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FOUNDER, EDITOR & CREATIVE DIRECTOR / Sherry Collins ART DIRECTOR / Edvinas Bruzas INTERVIEWERS / Emma Tucker / Katy Pryer Olivia Atkins / Selena Schleh / Sherry Collins / Tega Okiti PROOFREADERS / Dawn Howard / Joe Fay PUBLISHING ASSISTANT / Taya Luka

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FRONT COVER IMAGE

Coverstar: Vicki Maguire, Chief Creative Officer, Havas London

Photography by: Jon Lawton

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3 PITCH CREATIVE TALENT

EDITOR’S NOTE

This special issue showcases talent creating work that is making a difference in our society, and leaders who are uplifting others:

Adam Dolman, Managing Director, UNIT9 Films

Adrianne C. Smith, Senior Vice President & Senior Partner, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, FleishmanHillard, and Founder, Cannes Can: Diversity Collective

Andrés Ordóñez, Chief Creative Officer, FCB Chicago

Celeste Dalairac, Executive Creative Director, Grey London

Chrissy Levett, Founder & Creative Director, Creative Conscience

Dotun Bello, Senior Copywriter, TBWA\CHIAT\DAY

Juliette Larthe, Partner, Executive Producer & MD, Prettybird

Milana Karaica, Founder, NERD Productions

Ollie Olanipekun & Nadeem Perera, Founders, Flock Together

Phil Cookson, Founder, School of Thought

Sakshi Choudhary, Creative Director, Ogilvy, Chicago

Sweta Pathak, Creative Director, Co-Founder, Women Unltd.

Toby Tomkins, Founder & Senior Colourist, CHEAT

Tom Cockram, Photographer & Director, Probation

Vicki Maguire, Chief Creative Officer, Havas London

5 PITCH Adam Dolman MANAGING DIRECTOR, UNIT9 FILMS

Adam Dolman has almost 20 years’ experience in the we need to help people more at the start of their careers creative industry, which includes his current role as too if we actually want to make a change and encourage MD at London production studio UNIT9 Films, as well people from less-privileged backgrounds into the as a long list of films he’s directed for brands including industry. It’s no surprise the industry attracts the adidas, Samsung and M&S. Outside of his work in middle class when we pay runners and work experience advertising, Adam is the recipient of several awards for kids nothing. There needs to be more support financially his feature film The Last Sparks of Sundown, as well as from the outset, along with a focus on educating the a BAFTA for the Channel 4 drama series Run, which he next generation that there’s more to filmmaking than created and produced. just acting or directing.

UNIT9 is very involved in the APA mentorship programme What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned over the last and plans to have paid apprenticeships starting as soon two decades? as we’re back in the office. Each year, we put a pot of Never be afraid to ask questions if you don’t understand money aside to invest back into our directors, whether something. And always challenge things (diplomatically that’s funding a short film or music video they’d like to of course) despite fear of pushback or ridicule. All make, or buying them some equipment. the mistakes I’ve made (and continue to make) have been born out of pride or fear, whether that was How much of a difference do you believe creativity can being embarrassed about not knowing the answer make to some of the social issues we face? to something I thought my peers would expect me to Creativity and art in general can have a huge impact. know the answer to, or not questioning someone else’s Much like sport, encouraging people from less- decision out of fear of looking stupid or being told off. privileged backgrounds to take part in art can help provide an opportunity for them to build social What are some of the biggest changes you’ve noticed? connections, learn to work as part of a team, meet Technology is certainly the driving factor, for good people outside of their usual social circles and help and bad. From the ease and speed of comms, remote people to learn how to follow their interests. They working, doing everything in Google docs, being can try out new ideas and acknowledge and celebrate available 24/7, digital cameras, all that data, the 48- their own uniqueness, diversity and self-expression. hour pre-production turnaround time, the 24-hour post But creativity and art also have the ability to focus an production turnaround time, no Tipp-Ex on call sheets audience on any number of social problems. A great and all those frickin’ Zoom calls (even before Covid), to film or installation highlighting a particular social issue all the different ways we consume content nowadays. I with the right platform or PR behind it can make a huge love and hate it all in equal measure. But the best thing difference. technology has brought us, and perhaps the biggest change, is the democratisation of talent. The ease with Is there a responsibility for leaders in the industry to which people can make films nowadays is amazing and take steps to make a change? it’s really exciting to see so many new and unique voices Absolutely. It’s vital we educate and nurture the next coming through. generation of creative talent coming through. They need support practically, mentally and financially, while at the And what is it that the creative industry still needs to same time being afforded the freedom to experiment. work on? But it’s also important that those opportunities aren’t Accessibility. There’s rightly a big focus on diversity, but for a limited few.

INTERVIEW BY: EMMA TUCKER 7 PITCH Adrianne C. Smith SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND SENIOR PARTNER, CHIEF DIVERSITY & INCLUSION OFFICER AT FLEISHMANHILLARD, AND FOUNDER OF CANNES CAN: DIVERSITY COLLECTIVE

Those that dismiss diversity simply as an industry Everything we do should be an authentic representation buzzword clearly have not met Adrianne C. Smith, who of who we are. And when possible, allow people to see speaks passionately about the power of D&I, not just themselves, so they feel like they are included and like in the creative industries, but on wider culture and they belong. identity too. Here she shares insights into how it can, and indeed must, be woven into the “nervous system of What’s been a career highlight for you so far? organizations” everywhere. Creating the Cannes Can: Diversity Collective and CC:DC’s Inkwell Beach:2021.

How would you describe your role as an elevator pitch? How would you combat or address performative D&I I’m Senior Vice President and Senior Partner, Chief action? Diversity & Inclusion Officer at FleishmanHillard and If there is to be sustainable change in any organization’s Founder of Cannes Can: Diversity Collective. culture, there’s no space for performative action. Reactionary symbolic gestures are akin to putting a What does a day-to-day look like for you? Band-Aid on a severe stab wound. We have to do more. As the recently appointed CDIO, my role is to execute We have to get to the core of the issue and help change the diversity, equality and inclusion strategy previously the mindset and hearts of the individuals. We have to put into place, as well as make sure DE&I is embedded educate our team members and change internal policies into the nervous system of the organization. to achieve the change we want to become, not just post a black box on social media channels. What impact has D&I had on the creative industry? The industry is about storytelling. DE&I efforts have Tell us more about Cannes Diversity Collective? made these stories more authentic. These efforts have I am bringing the Cannes Can: Diversity Collective provided access to people who have traditionally been experience to Martha’s Vineyard from August 10-12th. excluded, to now be included, to tell their stories and Since we could not physically go to Cannes this year, our do creative work from their lived experiences and not goal is to bring the creative conversations back to the someone else’s. original Inkwell Beach.

How important is it that we make space for D&I in the What’s next for you, what are you currently working on? agency model? My secret goal is to write a book on DE&I. There is power and responsibility in the hands of all creatives. Whether we like it or not, people take Has the last year in particular seen a positive change? social cues to establish their own from the work that The last year has given DE&I efforts another life. Now we produce. As creatives and storytellers, we have a that it has become a global movement, we have the responsibility to make sure that anyone who is exposed opportunity to make sustainable change for the world. to our work can see the common humanity in it.

INTERVIEW BY: KATY PRYER / PHOTOGRAPHY BY: CRYSTAL BLAKE 9 PITCH Andrés Ordóñez CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER, FCB CHICAGO

When it comes to getting a job done, it’s fair to say most of us take a ‘good enough’ approach – and, when we’ve completed the task, we’re only too happy to put up our feet. Not so Andrés Ordóñez. “I’m always thinking about how I can push things a bit more. I want to be better as a leader. I want to have work in the world that we’re all proud of. I want our agency to become that place where everyone wants to work,” he says. So, it’s only fitting that, as CCO of FCB Chicago, he has found an agency whose #NVRFNSHD (Never Finished) ethos mirrors his own.

It’s a mentality which has served Andrés well through more than 20 years as an award-winning creative, working with clients as diverse as Walmart, City of Chicago, Wrigley, Bayer and the National Safety Council, and garnering a haul of trophies along the way. Growing up in Bogotá, Colombia, “my whole world was advertising, one way or another,” Andrés remembers. His mother, a model, was the face of Kent cigarettes, while his father ran his own creative agency. “There were always advertising books and magazines around in the house, and I was constantly sketching and drawing things.” After winning a place at Miami Ad School, he started his career at BBDO Puerto Rico, later moving to Zubi Miami, Bravo, Energy BBDO and now FCB Chicago.

Alongside creating campaigns for household names like Wrigley, MillerCoors and SC Johnson, Andrés is dedicated to agenda-setting work that drives genuine social change. “I’ve always had a little bit of an obsession with giving back,” he says of campaigns such as HeroSmiths for Bayer, which aimed to increase survival rates from heart attacks by turning 1,800 people surnamed Smith into an army of aspirin carriers; and Prescribed to Death, a travelling memorial to America’s opiate prescription crisis, whereby the faces of real-life fatalities were precision- carved onto individual pills. “I feel like (as advertisers) we have the power to make people buy whatever we want (sometimes things they don’t need) so we have to do things for good too.”

This was the driving force behind FCB’s recent project, Boards of Change, which scooped a coveted Black Pencil at this year’s D&AD Awards and saw 150 artwork-covered boards that protected Chicago storefronts during the BLM protests transformed into voting booths, to encourage voter registrations in underrepresented Black and Brown communities. It was important, says Andrés, that the messages of anger and hope weren’t simply disposed of: the cycle of Black history needed to be disrupted, and by giving people the opportunity to register to vote, it put change into their own hands.

For Andrés, this is just the start of his ambitions at the helm of FCB Chicago. “After D&AD, someone said to me: ‘so now what?’ And I was like: dude, there’s always another Black Pencil.”

INTERVIEW BY: SELENA SCHLEH 11 PITCH Celeste Dalairac EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR, GREY LONDON

As an award-winning creative director who’s worked with some of the world’s biggest brands – Coca-Cola, GSK, Unilever, P&G, Avon and Vodafone, to name just a few – it’s surprising that Celeste Dalairac considers herself the “least creative” member of her family. “My mum’s a celebrated architect who knits amazing sweaters, my sister, who is also an architect, bakes cakes that could be on the Great British Bake Off and my brother built all his own furniture,” she laughs. Growing up in Buenos Aires, she couldn’t draw or paint as well as her siblings, “but I was always good at making up stories,” she explains.

Given Celeste’s way with words (she studied journalism prior to embarking on a career in advertising) copywriting seemed like a natural fit, but she was encouraged by her then-creative director to give art direction a go. “It’s all about having a good eye. I’m a curious person and love learning new things, so I taught myself Photoshop and Illustrator from scratch, and loved it.”

This can-do approach has served Celeste well throughout her 17-year career in Buenos Aires and London, working for small hot shops and network giants like Ogilvy, Del Campo Saatchi Argentina, Saatchi and Grey London. She’s persuaded total strangers to share a Coke and a chat (Coca-Cola’s Sharing Billboard), clapped back at Donald Trump’s misogyny with a deck of playing cards featuring influential women (Maddy Kramer’s The Woman Card) and highlighted gender stereotypes via an innovative 3D/2D film which uses custom glasses to show contrasting male and female experiences (Pink/Blue, for the Saatchi New Director Showcase). Alongside this portfolio of much-publicised campaigns, she’s also helped to modernise brands such as Head & Shoulders, through casting diversity and a more approachable tone of voice.

Currently an executive creative director at Grey London, Celeste’s career path would look very different had she not been selected for Cannes Lions’ inaugural See It Be It, an initiative to achieve equal gender representation in creative leaders across the ad industry. Working in Argentina’s macho culture, she’d regularly encountered sexism (from being told never to partner with another female creative because “women get frustrated easily and cry,” to being cornered by sleazy colleagues in the office) but put up with the status quo. “See It Be It really opened my eyes. Other women around the world were facing similar issues but dealing with them in a completely different way. They were asking for pay rises, promotions and calling people out if they had to,” she remembers.

The experience spurred Celeste to make the move to London, where she worked for Saatchi & Saatchi, and Santo, before taking up the creative directorship at Grey. Within four months, she’s been promoted to ECD and has joined a leadership course to prepare her for the next step up the career ladder, where she hopes to continue championing gender diversity. “I’ve mentored junior creatives and given talks about what it’s like to be woman working in advertising, but the best way to support female talent is to hire more women, promote them and give them exposure, so the next generation of creative leaders will have more amazing women,” she concludes.

INTERVIEW BY: SELENA SCHLEH 13 PITCH Chrissy Levett FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR, CREATIVE CONSCIENCE

“It’s going to take a lot more brave, creative people, to work with a greater sense of mental wellbeing. If we can say no to working with companies that actively destroy do this, we will end up with a society and a planet that our future.” will thrive. Some businesses and individuals are putting people and planet first, and they are prosperous.” Chrissy Levett worked as a Lead Creative at a branding agency before starting Creative Conscience as a One of the ways Creative Conscience achieves this, in side hustle in 2012. This not-for-profit organisation reality, is through its awards programme. She explains: empowers the creative industry to use their skills for “Due to the response when we started, we thought positive social and environmental impact. “We are a let’s get to the next generation of creative thinkers community-built organisation. It’s not about me or any because they’re much more open. In its first few one individual. It’s about a community of people who years, submissions were free and open to any social believe in putting purpose at the heart of everything we and environmental justice project. It was built with no do,” she says. media budget, no plan, no money, just love, we had to be fearless - now its global submissions come in from all In recalling their origins, Chrissy remembers that no over the world.” one in the industry was interested. Not because they were against sustainability, their lack of interest was “We’ve always been about impact. That’s why we’re rooted in fear of change. unique. Whether you win an award or you don’t, we connect people and try to get their projects made “People don’t know anything else because this is all real in the world. What’s important is getting the we’ve been taught. I realised that we needed to get next generation to understand how they can instigate people to see it’s possible to serve organisations that change as part of a new wave of social entrepreneurs do the right thing. What stops us is not understanding and innovators in emerging fields like Green Tech. Also, the real meaning of abundance.” as brave new voices advocating for change within the current system. Our students have created things that In the same way that environmental and social justice have actively changed their lives and the lives of people are intrinsically linked, Chrissy also highlights the around them.” deep connection between these social causes and creativity. “Creativity allows us to think differently and She adds: “The vision I have for the future is a big one. imagine new systems. We need this kind of thinking to It extends beyond a creative conscience to something regenerate our culture and rebuild the natural systems more global in ways that embed people and planet into we have allowed to degrade.” everything we do, from our behaviours to our businesses and institutions. It’s a bit like the wisdom of indigenous Another critical element in this process is education. communities who would only make a decision if it was “If we can marry creativity and purpose, what we found beneficial for seven generations to come. Imagine that!” with the research and data we’ve done, is that people

INTERVIEW BY: TEGA OKITI / PHOTOGRAPHY BY: KERSTI NIGLAS 15 PITCH Dotun Bello SENIOR COPYWRITER, TBWA\CHIAT\DAY

Nigerian creative Dotun Bello prides himself on Does your work have a particular style or flavour to it? bringing a fresh perspective to briefs, and a desire I like to take stuff people see every day and turn it on to create meaningful ads that tell original stories. its head. I love showing a different POV to things ‘cos I Currently crafting ideas and words at TBWA in New believe there are too many single stories. I can also be York, he’s turned his hand to brands such as Guinness, provocative, but typically I like to have a strong reason BMW and Samsung. But on a personal level, he’s most for it. proud of Descendants of Gods, a project that saw him re-casting African-American heroes as African gods for How do you start the process of answering a brief? Black History Month last year. Deep dive into the brand/client. I have to first believe the brief before I can sell it authentically to others, so I interrogate the problem and product or service as much Talk me through your industry education, are you self- as possible. I find my own POV then compare it with the taught or formally trained? brief’s POV. I studied PR & Advertising at the University of Lagos. As many have found, the day-to-day and creative aspects What does it take for an idea to permeate culture - to of advertising aren’t super emphasized at universities. mean something outside of the advertising industry? I didn’t really know what advertising was, but I enjoyed A true human insight and an effective execution/ the elective courses I had to take like Sociology and deployment of that insight. Psychology. In my Third Year I stumbled into Noah’s Ark in Lagos and my life changed in many ways. I gained an What’s next for you, what are you working on now? in-depth understanding of advertising and a passion for I have a long-term goal of moving to Europe to be it grew within me. I also attended the Creative Circus in part of Africa-facing marketing campaigns. For now, 2015 when I moved to the US. I’m settling into TBWA and I’m eager to make more meaningful and impactful work with this team. I’m What piece of work are you most proud of? currently on a pretty neat brand launch that should see I’d say my Descendants of Gods work ‘cos I put very the light at some point in the fourth quarter. personal sentiments out into the world, and I had to use non-traditional means to get it made. How do you think the creative fields industry will change in the coming years? Where do you find your source of inspiration? I think things will continue as they’ve been for a min now I’m a huge battle rap fan and spend a lot of time on with some folks tilting more in the digital environment. the URLTV.TV app. I also really like Twitter ‘cos you get I hope that our target audience will continue to demand a lot of information updates and also the pulse of the more from us, more accountability and more original masses, to an extent. Besides that, Adweek is dope stories. and sites like Fubiz are good for content not just ads. Podcasts too, Talking to Ourselves is a fave.

INTERVIEW BY: KATY PRYER / PHOTOGRAPHY BY: HANNA HEGNELL 17 PITCH Juliette Larthe PARTNER, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, MD, PRETTYBIRD

Juliette Larthe doesn’t shy away from authenticity, it’s an element key to her success as Partner and Executive Producer at Prettybird. Her pursuit and platforming of authentic stories is central to her vision for a fairer, robust and balanced world. “It’s possible to remain true to what you want to achieve without bullshit. It’s about doing things responsibly by getting the right people involved and getting ideas from the right places. Creative ecosystems can be fragile places. With some nurturing and support, they can thrive,” she says.

It’s been a norm in the industry for work to be made about people in ways that entirely undermine their agency and quiet their voices. For Juliette, this situation is unsustainable. In ways we’re already witnessing, voices that were previously obscured are creating bold and powerful narratives. “This is the future of the industry. It’s a train that isn’t stopping. Everyone should get on board,” she adds. “What I’m interested in is transforming old narratives and finding the means to encourage and interact with things I haven’t seen before.”

Working with others is key, and the Prettybird Collaborators Initiative she directs is an essential element to getting it done. The philosophy behind it is what makes the difference. Juliette seeks in partners what she calls: “truly 360 creative people who are doing the work of storytelling in diverse ways already, not just when they’ve been handed a brief.”

As a result, very few of Juliette’s projects resemble the last. Recently she and her team have worked with the Theo Adams Company on performances including Elton John and Years & Years at The Brits. Film productions including, Margot Bowman’s Hey Girls, Jess Kohl’s Nirvana about transgender people in India and Melina Matsoukas’ affectionate Christmas ad for Amazon, The Show Must Go On. “I have the means to insist on new ways of working, but I don’t always have the vehicles to get it going. The Collaborators Initiative is a way of getting those wheels and contributing to our global village,” she explains.

Juliette’s passion for sustainable and inclusive models often leaves her negotiating the need to work locally and internationally. As the pandemic dissipates, she reflects on the communities she has seen come together in support of each other. “We are slowly moving towards a world that I want to be part of. In work and play, we’re levelling the old to build the new. This is what we should be feeling and seeing on our screens and in our streets.”

Reflecting on the impact on the industry, Juliette has observed people taking the time to think deeply about the implications of what they create. “When you have a window into the social injustice people live with, it makes you reluctant to blow your own trumpet about leadership.” What is critical to creative leadership for her is courage and faith. “First, to be brave enough to keep having conversations about change and secondly, the conviction that the risks you take will work out.”

INTERVIEW BY: TEGA OKITI / PHOTOGRAPHY BY: ANNA MCGRANE 19 PITCH Milana Karaica FOUNDER, NERD PRODUCTIONS

“My intention was always to do something creative,” says Milana Karaica, founder of NERD Productions and a passionate advocate for diversity in the creative industry. Finding that classic creative outlet such as art and creative writing weren’t for her, she decided instead to make the most of her hands-on, get-stuck- in nature and took a job as a runner in London’s Soho. This was just over 15 years ago, and she emphasises that things were very different.

While so much is now done digitally, back then she found herself whizzing across the city, delivering showreels and pitches and coming into contact with people from all backgrounds and professions. Having become fascinated with the industry, Milana started work at production company th1ng – all the while cherishing a “secret little dream” to set up her own business one day. It was a difficult time to be a young, ethnic woman in the creative world however, and she says that after ten years of doing the job, the lack of fellow women running production companies had crushed her confidence and hope.

“It was pretty devastating, and you start thinking, well, maybe this is a thing women, especially from my background, don’t do,” she says. Milana was also frustrated that her suggestions of younger and more diverse talent often went ignored. “I started to recognise that actually, people like me didn’t stand a chance as something more than a runner, because maybe they were a woman in animation, or someone from a less privileged background,” she remembers. “Those people didn’t really get the same opportunities. Somehow, that made my dream grow bigger. I wanted to be a game changer in the industry.”

After th1ng was unexpectedly shuttered, Milana found herself struggling with a crisis of confidence. Although she considered throwing it all in, those around her refused to let her give up and NERD was born as a way of making something positive from an incredibly difficult situation. “It was a chance to finally create that dream production company that welcomed diverse talent, and gave every talented director the opportunity to pitch, regardless of their background or age,” explains Milana.

Having recently celebrated its fifth birthday, Milana says she’s proud that her company has continued to fight for diversity that goes beyond tokenism. She’s also proud to see something that started as a daydream become a real-life business – the only minority and female-owned production company in the UK – that’s collaborated with some of the world’s biggest brands and agencies.

“We empower female talent and nurture under-represented artists and filmmakers,” she says. “We have fun together, craft hard together and we do it all to make a difference, so no one has to fight just to be able to have the opportunity. If we are able to lead the change in just five short years - imagine what we could do as an industry if we join forces in even less.”

INTERVIEW BY: EMMA TUCKER / PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JOSHUA LAWRENCE 21 PITCH Ollie Olanipekun and Nadeem Perera FOUNDERS, FLOCK TOGETHER

Flock Together is a movement founded by friends, of seeing the positive impact Flock has had in people’s Ollie Olanipekun and Nadeem Perera, to be a support lives has made it all worth it. system for People of Colour to come together in nature. Started in London, the Flock chapters have grown to You have collaborated with brands like Timberland since now include New York and Toronto. Ollie and Nadeem launching. What type of collaborations are you looking also launched the Flock Together Academy to encourage for in the future? children to start loving nature too. Here they share their We’re excited to be working with institutions to help vision for the future. spread our message, as much as the brand partnerships have been great, they are also taxing. We’re working hard to build our infrastructure which will allow us to Tell me about Flock Together and why you set it up? undertake these projects in a more streamlined way. Flock Together was set up to combat the underrepresentation of POC in the natural world. It I’m not a bird watcher, but I like the idea of the happened to come at a time at which our community community coming together to engage with nature. Do was in need of a support system. Birdwatching has you encourage non-bird watchers to attend? How will helped me in many a difficult time and it’s an honour to the group benefit someone like me? share it with a group I identify with. Even if you aren’t a birdwatcher, Flock Together has many great takeaways. A support network for our Why do you think it’s needed? community is key to what we do, and birding is only one The need for something like Flock to exist comes from part of that. That said, it’s surprising the pace at which a huge range of possibilities and many combinations birding becomes enjoyable. It’s a good reason to try it. of those possibilities. One possibility, which would probably feature in many a combination, is the fact that Nadeem you work as a Youth Space Coach, working with our community is actively shut out of spaces. schools and supporting young people in the community. Tell me about Flock Together Academy for children and Ollie, you are a Creative Director, what skills have you why it’s needed. leaned on when setting up the group with Nadeem? The Flock Together Academy is fundamental to bringing Running my own creative agency for the last seven long-term change. To be able to show underprivileged years has really helped with understanding how to build children a free benefit which is only a stone’s throw and empower creative communities, from the overall away, will help to shift their thinking and the way they Flock concept and pillars, right through to the visual view themselves. Hopefully there can be a new wave of storytelling. I’ve also been very lucky to build a global young naturalists to emerge from the city in decades to network of friends who we have leant on to launch all come, bringing with them new ideas and perspectives our international chapters. and hopefully long-lasting change.

How do you make it work? Who runs things? Since launching, the community has grown and now My role is CEO and Creative Director, so I oversee the includes chapters in New York and Toronto. What are direction of the movement, alongside the building of your hopes for the future? the brand and platform. The last 12 months have been The hopes are many, but, in a nutshell, to be able to intense, balancing a full-time job as well as running provide a global support network allowing people to Flock. At times it’s been overwhelming, but the reward feel confident in taking up space, particularly in nature.

INTERVIEW BY: SHERRY COLLINS / PHOTOGRAPHY BY: SERENA BROWN 23 PITCH Phil Cookson FOUNDER, SCHOOL OF THOUGHT

“The life of a creative is about getting rejected every for the reality of working in an agency. Twelve agencies single day,” says School of Thought founder, Phil participate in the programme, tasking candidates with Cookson. “You pitch ideas daily and you receive a pitch brief on Monday which they need to respond constant feedback. You’ve got to learn to take that on to by Thursday. “It’s about training your mind to think the chin and not take that rejection to heart.” at speed and under pressure,” says Phil. “Once you’ve proved that you can do that, most alumni find industry The industry can be an intimidating place for budding life a lot more comfortable. The course really puts them creatives unaware of its fast-paced and aggressively through the mill.” He cites being overly apologetic and competitive nature. Thankfully Phil’s not-for-profit pitching too many ideas, as some of the main problems initiative, launched in 2015 as a combined competition he sees in applicants, but notes that these are easily and course, nurtures and prepares prospective talent worked on throughout the three months. “It’s important for entering adland. With a focus on developing their for us to reflect how the industry actually is,” he adds. pitches and building their confidence, the 12-week “We try to make the experience realistic.” course –currently held in Manchester and Leeds (as of 2020) – takes 12 applicants on a bi-annual basis, who Candidates can build relationships with others on the are committed to self-improvement and bolstering their course as well as agency figures, who host them each portfolios, with a first prize of an all-expenses-paid trip week in-house. Being exposed to numerous agencies to Cannes Lions. allows budding creatives to “see how different agencies function. It often gets candidates thinking about where “The course attracts a really broad range of ages, they want to work or what type of agency might suit backgrounds and levels of experience,” he explains. “So, them.” Former alumni go on to senior roles at agencies, they’re all learning from each other and responding to but return to host some of the competition’s events briefs in completely different ways.” School of Thought and scout out the next generation of talent. “There’s operates as a meritocracy, with applications assessed a camaraderie between people who’ve completed on the quality of their ideas, rather than their previous the course. There’s an awareness that you know what experience, which means all ideas are fair game, so the someone can do.” creative standard and calibre of candidates is high. Most will be in the early stages of their careers, working as “We’re helping to put northern creatives and agencies junior or mid-weight creatives, but students, graduates on the creative map,” says Phil. “And remind clients and even people outside of the industry can get in – if that they don’t necessarily need an agency in London their work is big, bold or brave enough. anymore.” Though the competition currently operates in Manchester and Leeds, he’s been asked to bring it to Phil hopes to encourage young talent through the other cities too – so there’s potential and demand for it industry’s doors and prides himself on upskilling to grow. It’s already built an industry reputation as an creatives. He feels like a “proud dad” when he sees incubator of new talent that’s designed to help creatives previous participants excel, beaming when he talks and agencies. “We’re upscaling northern creatives and about two former students who went on to win the developing northern talent, which can only be a positive prestigious Cannes Young Lions award. thing,” he adds.

It is a strenuous training ground, preparing creatives

INTERVIEW BY: OLIVIA ATKINS 25 PITCH Sakshi Choudhary CREATIVE DIRECTOR, OGILVY CHICAGO

“Growing up in India in the 1990s, ads not only became a is a team of five highly talented women who run the part of pop culture, they also dictated it.” Ogilvy Creative network along with me. We’ve evolved into a platform Director Sakshi Choudhary never let go of her desire to focused on increasing the percentage of women creative create the dynamic content she grew up watching. Now directors in Indian advertising and design. We organise well established in her career Sakshi’s want for gender a variety of events and development sessions. Recently, equality is also a desire she has been able to manifest as we advocated for gender equality at India’s biggest the founder of Indian Creative Women. The expanding award show and introduced a programme for mothers network is a space that nurtures women with practical returning to work. and emotional support. In the present moment of black squares and hashtag “click-tivism,” the ICW also offers How would you describe your approach to creative timely and provocative reminders to the advertising leadership? and marketing industry to go deeper than the surface The best creative ideas come from a mind that is with their support for women. curious, ecstatic and passionate. My job is to nurture those values and ensure nothing else gets in the way.

Describe your creative approach in three words. How has being surrounded by a community of women Uncanny, relentless and enjoyable. benefited you personally? Women have made a significant impact on my career. Why was it essential for you to start the Indian Creative Being an introvert and an immigrant in the US has Women? come with challenges. I’ve relied very heavily on the In 2017 I participated in the Cannes Lions See It Be It community to navigate through rough roadblocks. I’ve Programme. I was fortunate enough to see women’s seen myself in the women around me and harnessed leadership close up, and was surprised by how one their strength as mine. There are days when I question could tap into your vulnerabilities to lead. I realized the certain decisions, but I find my power in the five women impact this can have on young talent. In India, there who dedicate their time and effort, beyond their work were very few women creative directors at the time. ICW hours, to contribute to the ICW. These women inspire become a platform to bring creative leadership from me deeply every day. women and junior talent to one table - a space where women discussed the challenges they faced and helped What excites you most about the future? each other grow. Young talent. Particularly their resolve to change things for the better. Be it at work or in society. I love their Since founding the ICW, how has it grown? tenacity and confidence. I can’t wait to see how they When we started, we were a small informal group of 80 shape our industry in the decades to come. women, and now we have a network of over 500. There

INTERVIEW BY: TEGA OKITI 27 PITCH Sweta Pathak CREATIVE DIRECTOR / CO-FOUNDER WOMEN UNLTD.

With over 25 years’ of industry experience under her women in advertising and marketing to connect with proverbial belt, Sweta Pathak has earned her fair share like-minded individuals unlike our counterparts in of awards and accolades, including earning herself a London. We felt a real need (having worked in London spot on Campaign’s Ones to Watch next generation of and internationally ourselves) to create something in female leaders in 2019. But perhaps most important Birmingham/the Midlands, that would not only inspire to the Creative Leader, is the notion of giving back and and support, but also empower women to grow in their helping unearth diverse talent from outside the usual careers, find their voice and feel a part of the industry. London ad crowd. Creative from a young age, Sweta set her sights early on an advertising career and never What was your experience like with D&AD/RARE? looked back. D&AD/RARE gave me the opportunity to be part of a very talented bunch of creatives from all over the world, the RARE family. It was an incredible experience listening Was advertising always on the cards for you? to personal stories, attending workshops and going on I’ve been working in leadership roles for the past few a bit of a self discovery. We have so much diverse talent years - managing brands, clients and teams. Advertising in the industry that hasn’t maximized it’s potential yet. appealed to me from when I was very young. I used to watch ads on TV and think that maybe I could make How important is it to give fledgeling creatives an some myself when I grew up! industry leg up? Advertising, like any creative industry, can be quite Were you creative from a young age? daunting and competitive. When I started it was very Looking back, we were a very creative household. My difficult to find mentors and people who believed in parents, (especially my mum), were creative in their you. You learnt on the job and from your mistakes. own way and I think that helped when I was growing up. They encouraged me to explore my skills, whether it There’s so much talent out there, we have to see their was school projects, art competitions or even designing potential and give them a chance. Sometimes just my own outfits! I think anyone who knows me from giving someone an opportunity (a placement, a brief, childhood isn’t surprised where I’ve ended up. a few words of advice) can change their life. I’m also a champion of female and diverse young talent so I think When I was 17 I also set up my own design agency it’s very important to encourage and nurture them if Imagineers (I still have the stationery somewhere). I we want to create a healthy balance in the industry. pestered my mum to buy me a PC and taught myself Which is why I regularly mentor, guest lecture and do a few design programs. I ran it successfully (my first portfolio crits at the Birmingham City University (visual client was HMV) until I graduated from art school and communications), Leeds Art Uni and via platforms like got hired as a junior art director. My mum wanted me to YCC and Jolt. get a “proper job!” What would be your dream project to work on? What motivated you to co-found Women Unltd? There are so many brands/work I’d like to get my teeth It was born out of frustration that my founding partners into. I wish I’d had the chance to work on brands like and I shared due to the lack of any platform/space for Bodyform’s Viva la Vulva and help change the narrative.

INTERVIEW BY: KATY PRYER 29 PITCH Toby Tomkins FOUNDER & SENIOR COLOURIST, CHEAT

From his early experiments with digital montage to everything should be in service of the work. As a leader, setting up London’s largest dedicated colour grading I’ve come to appreciate that it’s all about the team, and studio, colourist Toby Tomkins has always been drawn if the team is doing well, the quality of the work will to the alchemy of digital image manipulation. Over a follow. Last year was a real challenge for us and I’m very decade in the industry, CHEAT’s founder has worked proud of how we came together. his magic on a slew of award-winning projects, ranging from high-profile commercials for BMW, Land Rover, As a creative leader, what qualities and experience are Lloyds and Amstel, to short films, features, and cult TV essential to success? shows like Netflix/Channel 4’s The End of the F***ing Honesty and transparency are a great place to start. World and new Muslim punk sitcom We Are Lady Parts. It’s important to hold on to humanity and personal A lone wolf turned team player, he balances dedication connection in the chaotic whirlwind that post-production to the work with nurturing the new generation of can often become. Stay humble, always be polite and creative talent. communicate more than you think you need to.

How are you helping grow and support new talent in the How did you get into the world of colour? creative industries? I’ve always been fascinated with digital image Some of our colourists started off as assists and have manipulation. I was lucky enough to sit in with some worked their way up, and one of our brightest producers of the best concept artists in the film industry on Tomb actually started out on the front desk: it’s great to see Raider (Ravi Bansal) and Charlie and the Chocolate that progression internally and nurture it. Externally, Factory (Dermot Power), which exposed me to a whole I’ve set up a group of independent post houses to new world of digital craft. At film school, I fell in love provide mentoring, internships and work placements with post. I loved the input I had on the story as an for college graduates of all backgrounds. We’ve also editor, but also the magic of VFX. When I discovered done some work in primary schools with Pitch Futures. colour grading, it felt like the perfect balance of the two. We’re open to any sort of grassroots action to inspire future generations in the creative industries. What led you to set up CHEAT and what’s been your proudest moment as founder? Any exciting projects in the pipeline? Years of freelancing and being a lone wolf became a I’m working on the screenplay TV adaptation of This Is bit… lonely! I felt the need for collaboration and cross- Going To Hurt for the BBC, which, after such a terrible pollination of ideas between colourists that you get time for the NHS, should tug on the heartstrings and at a facility. Until recently, I was a firm believer that hopefully provide some laughs as well.

INTERVIEW BY: SELENA SCHLEH 31 PITCH Tom Cockram PHOTOGRAPHER & DIRECTOR, PROBATION

Probation’s advertising director and photographer Tom drop which means I can capture a more personal side Cockram has seemingly nailed the balance between his that’s not often seen by the public. commercial and editorial work, and his passion projects. Known for his love of sports and portraiture, he has Thinking about your 2019 work for Grenfell United managed to merge these interests into his professional and your billboard campaign for Shelter charity, what ventures to work with well-known and internationally emotional considerations did you have to make around recognised clients like Nike, Beats by Dre and British their creative direction? GQ. And his resolve to evolve his creativity is admirable For both projects, I wanted to be respectful to the and has not gone unnoticed, garnering him exhibition community and subjects I was photographing. I was space and meaningful projects. Life under lockdown very careful to create an intimate studio environment so helped him to review his creative contributions and be that the people I was photographing felt comfortable; I more mindful of his time and what he takes on. took it slow and kept the set-up simple to avoid overwhelming anyone with too much equipment.

How do you differentiate your work as a director and a How does that differ from the work that you do with photographer? public figures? I didn’t want to be a photographer who naively thinks he Some shoots need energy and some need calmness. can do both off the bat. The big difference between the Paul Smith was a dream to shoot, but it’s not always the two is how involved you get. With directing, you might case. You have to read the room and go with the flow of be on a job prepping for weeks in advance, picking out the day. every prop for a shoot, or storyboarding every frame. Photography jobs still require some prep, but not to the You’ve held a number of photographic exhibitions; what same extent as film. Moving-image projects need so is it like sharing your work in public? much more preparation time. I enjoy it. The run up is hectic, getting everything done but it’s amazing seeing your work printed and hung in You keep up with your own projects; do you tend to a gallery – which doesn’t happen much these days. As follow your nose for inspiration? photographers, most of the time our work is only ever It can be a challenge balancing personal projects with seen on a phone or a computer screen. I definitely want commercial jobs, especially when work gets busy. I to carry on contributing to more exhibitions when the prefer projects to grow organically; I’m not one to plan time and project is right. too far ahead and enjoy finding a subject or idea to fully invest in. What do you do to stay inspired and how did you keep yourself creatively occupied during lockdown? You’re known as a sports photographer. What is it about Initially, I put a lot of pressure on myself thinking up this group of people that you enjoy depicting? ideas to shoot. I also finished working on my website, Shooting athletes is a huge passion of mine. Their so I just took one thing at a time, and took the chance to dedication and drive is inspiring to document. It’s a really switch off and reconnect with what’s important in pleasure observing people at work, and I really enjoy my life. That helped me feel motivated for when things being allowed into their training spaces. Once you have opened up again. spent time in their environment, their guard tends to

INTERVIEW BY: OLIVIA ATKINS / PHOTOGRAPHY BY: OLLIE GROVE. 33 PITCH Vicki Maguire CCO, HAVAS LONDON

After two decades in the advertising industry, it’s fair to say that Vicki Maguire knows a thing or two about advertising, most importantly, the fact she doesn’t know it all. “I didn’t go to ad school, so basically I’m self-taught. Twenty years later, every day’s a school day,” she says. “The last few years in this industry have been a rollercoaster, and Covid has accelerated that. [To] anyone who thinks they know the way forward, [I’d say] mate, we haven’t got a clue. And that’s what makes it exciting.”

This straight-talking, no bullshit approach, coupled with resilience, a genuine thirst to learn and righteous rage against a stale, pale, male industry that’s not changing quickly enough, has propelled Vicki through the ranks to her current role as CCO of Havas London. It’s a far cry from her first disastrous career in fashion design, followed by a stint on her mum’s market stall in Leicester. “Being sacked from my dream job gave me resilience. It’s also given me this happy-go- lucky belief that something will come up. I can look after myself, and out of that comes a certain degree of freedom.”

Following stints at top agencies like Grey, Wieden+Kennedy and Mojo, Vicki’s portfolio bulges with “advertising that doesn’t look like advertising and makes a dent in culture.” Take her film for the British Heart Foundation starring Vinnie Jones, and his exhortation to “push hard and fast on the sovereign,” to the tune of Staying Alive. It’s garnered more than 45 major awards, but more importantly, has saved close to 100 lives, “which is worth more than any silverware or certificate,” she says. Ditto The Angina Monologues, also for the BHF, which brought comedian Victoria Wood out of retirement for a show to raise awareness of heart health risks for post-menopausal women. As a CCO, she’s continued to champion culture- shifting work by her creative teams: most recently, educating Londoners about previously unsung Black achievements via the Black Plaque Project with Nubian Jak Community Trust.

Alongside the work, she’s blazed a trail for female creatives – from becoming Creative Circle’s first female chairperson in 2016, to scoring the top job at Grey London and now Havas. Part of a “depressingly small” coterie of women who’ve climbed the career ladder but not pulled it up after themselves, she remains outspoken and “with an opinion on everything. Every opportunity I get to say my piece, I will take – because if I don’t, they’ll ask a man.” Yet things have come a long way since her first agency gig, when she had to traipse down four flights of stairs to borrow a tampon. “I am so stoked – not only by the number of women coming into the agency, but the seismic shifts happening at a senior female creative level,” she says.

Having “worked for the best and learned from the worst,” Vicki reckons that generosity – of spirit, of time and of talent – is an underrated but key quality for leadership. As is asking herself the perennial question: ‘can I do brilliant work and not be a twat?’ Something tells us she’s managed that feat.

INTERVIEW BY: SELENA SCHLEH / PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JON LAWTON 35 PITCH I AM ME-DI-A. MY MISSION IS TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE CREATIVE SOCIETY.

ONE WHERE WE RESPECT AND TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER, OUR MENTAL HEALTH AND OUR WORLD. YOU ARE ON OUR JOURNEY. BEST WISHES, SHERRY COLLINS