CREATIVE TALENT CREATIVE ISSUE 024 pitch www.thepitchfanzine.com We are Pitch Our mission is to introduce you to exceptional, creative talent, leaders, their work, their inspiration and their worlds. 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 SPONSORSHIP AND ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Please contact: [email protected] FRONT COVER IMAGE Coverstar: Vicki Maguire, Chief Creative Officer, Havas London Photography by: Jon Lawton -- No material in this publication may be reproduced or distributed without the written permission of The Pitch Fanzine © The Pitch Fanzine. All rights reserved. 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.