How did your agency adjust/adapt to the marketplace in 2021 (new strategies, resources, technology, health/safety expertise) and what is the most relevant business and/or creative lesson you learned in 2021 and how will you apply it to 2022?
I started at BBH USA a few months ago and walked into an agency that was firing on all cylinders. The leadership team of Amani Duncan, CCO Rafa Rizuto and CSO Tom Callard, who we affectionately call “ART,” have seamlessly reshaped the business to adapt to current conditions. I can’t give away all of our “secrets,” but I can say we have mastered the art of the virtual pitch as we now have over 11 clients. But for ART it’s more than just the work; they care about the employees and our wellbeing. We have BBH’appiness days every month, encouraging no emails or SLACK after 6:00pm, and a wellness benefit we can use at our discretion for gym membership, therapy, etc.
Speaking in terms of creative lessons, this past year I’ve learned that the lows are part of life and business. They’re meant to be, and they’ll make you appreciate even more the greatness that comes afterwards.
How are the events of 2021--from the pandemic to the call for diversity, equity and inclusion--impacting the content you create and/or the way you work?
Working from home for almost two years toughens you up, that’s for sure. Being a creative who finds inspiration in everyday life and thrives around people can be very challenging when your workday now consists of you and your laptop in your NY bedroom. You miss the fire that comes from a random conversation with a colleague over coffee, you miss war rooms where anything can happen until the very last second, and you miss late nights with the team working around the same table. In this new climate you learn how to be more diligent and disciplined, how to appreciate EVERY opinion because there could lie your inspiration, and how to multitask as you make a quick pasta while on a call. It’s been a windy road but in the past year I’ve learned more than ever before – how to step up as a woman in this industry and how to use my being a Russian-Italian copywriter as a superpower.
What are your goals or New Year’s resolution, creatively speaking or from a business standpoint, for your agency or department in 2022?
2022 will be the Black Sheep year! We are looking to hire more talent, the best talent out there, to help shape the most heterogeneous agency that ever existed. The creative department is growing fast and steadily, with nearly a dozen new creatives joining since I started in September. We aim to bring in clients who care about putting out in the world the highest caliber of creative with real and meaningful impact while respecting each other, each other’s time and life. At BBH we value “nice and good,” and we think of our colleagues as humans rather than professionals.
Gazing into your crystal ball, what do you envision for the advertising and/or entertainment industry--creatively speaking or from a business standpoint--in 2022?
I truly hope 2022 will be a renaissance, like a modern-day Roaring Twenties. We’ll move away from COVID-themed content and focus on what’s next rather than looking backwards. There will be a renewed sense of optimism and a burning desire to be playful and purposeful. We will create more stunts and live activations for people to experience first-hand, rather than looking to social and digital as the best solution to our briefs. We will be courageous and a little outrageous, challenging clients and ourselves to think and create bigger.
Tell us about one current commercial or branded entertainment project you are working on for early 2022.
Unfortunately, all projects I am currently on have NDAs protecting their privacy. All I can say is it’s branded content, it’s big and bold, and you won’t be able to ignore it.