Levi Slavin is a very funny guy. Whether it be in a Q&A or his wonderfully clever use of humor in an abundance of great creative work he’s been a part of over the years.
Anyone remember “Trumpet Undies?” from way back when?
Last year, following a three-year stint in New York – first as Global Creative Director at Anomaly and then EVP Group Creative Director at BBDO – the Aussie native returned to New Zealand to take the creative leadership role at Colenso BBDO, where he previously worked two different stretches.
During his time with BBDO New York, Slavin worked on campaigns for several global brands including Visa, the American Red Cross, and General Electric.
The work for General Electric earned the iconic brand its first two Gold Lions for “The Message,” an 8 episode sci-fi podcast that went on to be the year’s most awarded branded content campaign in the U.S.
Over the years, I’ve tried other systems to get to ideas quickly. And they do work. But the best ideas seem to come just when I realize I’ve got nothing. That I’m a complete hack. A hopeless shell of a man.
As a follow up to The Message, he and longtime creative partner, and fellow Colenso alumni, Dan Wright put together “LifeAfter” – another sci-fi podcast that Neil DeGrasse-Tyson called, “brilliant.”
Branding in Asia recently caught up with Levi Slavin to talk about his work, the shift from the Big Apple back to the Kiwi, his creative inspiration and a promising (and no doubt fulfilling) potential career move to the mailroom.
What have you been up to lately?
It has been a huge year for us. After Trump was elected, we knew that New York might not be the best place to raise our kids. Incredibly, at about the same time, a position opened up at Colenso BBDO in New Zealand. So, we jumped at the chance. Who could refuse? The best agency on earth, in the best country on earth. Just far enough away from Donald and Kim.
You’re coming up on one year since returning from New York. What was it like living and creating there and how has it been shifting gears?
You’d imagine that leaving New York for New Zealand would mean slowing down, but it was quite the opposite. The New Zealand industry is a force of nature. It’s fast, passionate, and unstoppable.
The best thing about this industry is that it constantly changes. I think if you embrace change, you’ll love what you do. My biggest frustration comes from people who try to make the next chapter of our industry exclusive. It isn’t.
And I’m fortunate enough to work in a building filled to the brim with people who get things done. It’s a necessity. There is less money to work with, so the teams are smaller, and there are fewer places to hide. What’s most inspiring is that the work doesn’t suffer at all. Quite the opposite.
I loved an answer you gave in an interview a few years back when asked about your creative inspiration. You replied with one word: “Panic”. Talk more about that – with at least a dozen words, if you could.
I’m yet to be asked to present “Panic” as a lateral thinking strategy at TED. So, it clearly didn’t resonate with everyone.
Over the years, I’ve tried other systems to get to ideas quickly. And they do work. But the best ideas seem to come just when I realize I’ve got nothing. That I’m a complete hack. A hopeless shell of a man who will very likely never ever have another idea again. That maybe I should have pursued law, like my sister.
You’d imagine that leaving New York for New Zealand would mean slowing down, but it was quite the opposite. The New Zealand industry is a force of nature. It’s fast, passionate, and unstoppable.
Man, she seems happy. I should call her. Maybe she could get me into some kind of low paying role at her firm. Like the mailroom. Are mailrooms still a thing? Sure, I’ll be older than most of the other mail-people, but I work hard. God, why didn’t I do law?
If I was a lawyer I wouldn’t be staring at this blank piece of paper like the complete and total fraud that I—hey, that’s not bad!
That’s kind of how it works.
How about your approach to creative management? How do you guide and inspire the creatives you work with?
I’ve been lucky enough to work for some of the best creatives in the industry, but very few were great creative leaders. I think the difference is empathy, humility, and the ability to stay excitable.
Forgive me, it’s a bit cliche, but, the ad industry has seen a lot of changes. What are some of the changes that delight you and those that frustrate you?
The best thing about this industry is that it constantly changes. I think if you embrace change, you’ll love what you do. My biggest frustration comes from people who try to make the next chapter of our industry exclusive. It isn’t.
And I’ve learned to avoid people who try and make evolving communication look more complicated than it is. If you have an interest in the world, the humility to learn, and are a living human, change is wonderful.
You do “funny” very well. The Export Dry print ad with Sean noting his wine’s “complex mix of both regret and shame” still kills me. What are some of your favorite campaigns you’ve done?
I’m so glad you gave me public credit for that particular piece of work. You are correct to do so. I wrote it. Alone. And I certainly didn’t work on it with anyone else.
No, I don’t really have any favorite ads of my own. I’m certainly proud of work I’ve done over the years, I think we all have those pieces, but I’d fast turn into one of those horrible creative leaders if I admired my work more than other people’s.
What’s next for you?
I’m going to call my sister to see if she has a mailroom. Then I’m going to get back to work.
You can hear both The Message and LifeAfter podcast series on iTunes.
