Art Director, Lucas Zaiden has featured in Lürzer’s Archive for his work on campaigns including Jeep Wrangler and Finansbank. He talks about the best creative work and how he would love to give tips to Brazil’s Minister of Education, Aloizio Mercadante.

 

Image: Brazilian Art Director, Lucas Zaiden.

 

At the moment, I am working on…

I can’t say much about it because it has not been aired yet, but I’ll give you a hint: It’s named – “Car vs. Piano”.

 

The best piece of creative work around at the moment is…

When Cannes announced their Mobile Lion  as a Lion category (finally!), I was looking forward to how developers and ad agencies would digest it and what the result would be. I thought that we’d see pounds of new games for iPhones. But I went through some really interesting things that could manage to keep an idea above everything:

 

“Backseat Driver” from Toyota – it’s done by Party, a relatively new agency and collective of some fresh minds from Japan. I love it because it’s simple. You won’t find much more if you dig into it, yet it’s very pertinent to the brand. I bet it will make Saatchi’s Tom Eslinger raise a discussion with the Mobile Lions team this year. As he said himself: “the thing that puts you out ahead is making stuff that connects with people’s passions, end of story.”

 

Another amazing piece (recently aired) is for Coca-Cola Brazil, the “Happiness Refill“. Ogilvy turned the worldwide concept ‘Happiness’ and created this futuristic machine that, at first glance, seems to be a soda machine. But instead of the cup you place your mobile to earn free web minutes. That might sound not so relevant for US or European audiences, but in Brazil a lot of people have pre-paid phones where surfing the web is a trash experience – slow and expensive.

 

Akatu’s “Fake Shower App” by Leo Burnett Tailor Made, Brazil, did a great and useful application which masks embarrassing noises in the bathroom while combating water wastage.

 

And, of course, the brilliant and entertaining Google’s “Gmail Tap” video. Nothing to add here, just watch it and laugh.

 

What inspires me is…

It’s strange. I never had idols or heroes like some people do. I always try to get inspiration for my projects from the problems and obstacles that those very same projects bring me. Every unusual situation must be seen as a step towards success. That’s how I manage to reinvent and improve the tools I have with the ones I don’t.

 

The festival I will attend this year is…

I’m trying to convince BBDO’s managers here to start a contest so the team can win some tickets to Cannes. Fortunately they are three women, so I’ll probably be able to convince them through an emotional strategy. I’d love going there with the work we did here and with the people that did this work. I’m also trying to catch a TEDx seminar. I heard that there will be one in Moscow.

 

What last got my attention at a festival is…

I wasn’t at the D&AD ceremony, but there was an outdoor piece that caught my attention: the “Campaign Designed to Drop Sales” by TBWA, Johannesburg. It’s a striking use of the outdoor, and you can’t imagine this idea being better in any other media; that’s why I liked it so much, the way it fitted. I remembered it because I am re-watching the Joseph Kony documentary again.

 

The best era to be a Creative was…

The 90s. Or maybe even on the 00’s. But today, we must be Strategists. Having the big idea is not enough anymore. I think that in the past we had one W: the Wow. Today, there are four more: Who, Where, Why and When.

 

The so called ‘360º thinking’ must be replaced with 720º thinking. You must explore all the possible ways to spread the message (360º) and then turn back and recheck if they are still relevant or if you are just filling media plans (720º). José Boni Sobrinho: “Creatives can’t be afraid of mistakes. But Strategists can’t tolerate them.”

 

You can’t count how many meetings a day you attend which is endless blah blah blah, and nobody ever finds a solution – most of the time because there’s no solution to be found. The problem itself can be the catalyst element, but nobody considers it because the formula says: spot the problem without questioning it, and solve it one way or another. RT @BBHegarty: “One of the most harmful things for the process is discussing the process.”

 

I’m constantly trying to get rid of the high and far away position that we creatives put ourselves in, getting involved with my brand’s real and tangible issues.

 

The next big thing in the world of advertising…

Hmm… that’s a tough one. I’m not sure about who will be the next big thing, but I’m definitely paying a lot of attention to one already-big guy: Matias (Palm-Jensen), founder of Farfar. The guy was the name behind (or not so behind) one of the most innovative and forward thinking businesses in the world. And now, he’s going to join an elephant: McCann is big, strong and powerful. But will he be able to make the twist he’s planning to? That’s something that I’ll definitely not miss.

 

The piece of digital work I wish I thought of is…

It’s not that I wish I’d thought of it, because honestly I’m not capable of, but the brand new and fresh Google’s Project Glass.

 

In a film, I’d like to be played by…

Brad Pitt. We have a similar expression when staring at the sun.

 

In my industry, I most admire…

The people that don’t let their egos kill them. People who are capable of listening, considering and maybe even changing. People who know that trying to do everything by themselves will only have results as (not so) big as they are.

 

My dream collaboration is…

I’d love to have a sit with Brazil’s Minister of Education, Aloizio Mercadante, and share some ideas I have to improve processes inside and outside schools, starting with how the chairs are distributed to how wrong this overload of useless information spoils future thinkers.

 

In up and coming talent, the skills I look for are…

The ones that I especially lack most. So everyday will be an opportunity to learn and give something in exchange.

 

A piece of criticism I have received is…

I couldn’t name only one. But I teach my brain to not split criticism into constructive or destructive. Every criticism has a constructive potential; it’s up to you how you’ll use it. If somebody tells me something as stupid as “you stink”, I’ll go home and consider taking a shower or not. If I do, then I’ll be clean, and that’s good for me. If I don’t, than it’s because I disagreed with it, and now I couldn’t be more sure that I smell good.

 

The last song I listened to is…
“Pra nossa alegria” by Jefferson feat. Mara & Suelen. The latest reason for Brazilians to feel proud of themselves after “Ai se eu te pego”.

 

Akatu “Fake Shower App” by Leo Burnett Tailor Made, Brazil

 

See Lucas Zaiden’s work published in our online archive.

 

Not already subscribed? Subscribe now.