As part of an ongoing series highlighting rising talent in the industry, Branding in Asia brings you “One Under 30: Young Creative Spotlight”, an ongoing feature focusing on creative talent across the ad world.
It’s unfiltered, in their own words. Straight up.
This week features Brand Manager at Lotte Kolson in Pakistan, Eisha Salim. When asked about her personal mantra Salim said, “The world is in no need of mediocrity. The world has enough of those who keep their head down & stand in line; it needs dreamers, believers, fighters!”
The Basics
Name: Eisha Salim
Age: 28
Agency: Lotte Kolson
Position: Brand Manager
Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan
Current Location: Karachi, Pakistan
Education: SZABIST – Bachelors Business Administration (2014) Master of Advertising (2016)
Seven Questions
How did you get your first break in the industry?
I was in my 3rd year of Bachelors when I came across an opening for Copywriter at Headlion. I sent my resume and was scheduled for an interview with the CEO – Mr. Neil Christy, who somehow foresaw that I was good with word-play and that was that. My first exposure to the world of what I call Mad-Men was as part of the creative team and I immediately fell in love with it.
My break in media, however, was a different story. For my final interview at Starcom (MT program), I met the then CEO, Mr. Farhan Qureshi, who ended up placing me on the Procter & Gamble account. Little did I know that was the beginning of my love affair with media, having been at Brainchild Communications Pakistan for 4+ years; a place that the Chairman Mr. Raihan Merchant has made sure will always feel like a second home.
What is your personal mantra?
Either do it passionately, fiercely & fearlessly; or don’t do it all.
The world is in no need of mediocrity. The world has enough of those who keep their head down & stand in line; it needs dreamers, believers, fighters!
From what person, place, or thing have you drawn your greatest creative inspiration?
Travel – I think just going somewhere new, unexplored at least once in the year helps you unwind the tangles within your own head, which helps you both to go back to the basics to find answers and look at the world from a different perspective. Some of my best ideas (which I am still working on today) have popped in my head while I was aimlessly roaming the streets of an unknown city with a smoke and a chilled can of Coke.
What do you love about the job?
Two things: The ability of an agency employee to find solutions and get the job done, despite all challenges they may face. Secondly, how we marketers can sell just about anything to anyone, anywhere.
What about your job are you not so crazy about?
It is very convenient to blame the agency or the brand team when deliveries (read: sales) are not being achieved and ignore all the other factors at play. Additionally the culture of treating the agencies just as an outside vendor and not the strategic business partners that they are.
What is some work you’ve done that you’re most proud of?
My recent campaign for Slanty, which was a consumer promotion in partnership with DC (Warner Bros) to bring Justice League character in a 3D sticker as instant redemption for our kids audience, who love comics and superhero characters.
https://www.facebook.com/YProductionsPakistan/videos/2383672108618709/
The project had tons of challenges, both strategic and operational; and I was a newbie brand manager. Fortunately with the guidance and support of both my team and my superiors at Lotte, we we were able to overcome all hurdles and the commercial was one of the best ever delivered on the brand – which I am extremely proud of.
If you had to choose another career what would it be?
I was told at a training session at Starcom that I had “Gift of the Gab” so considering that, I believe I would have made quite a gung-ho attorney. My parents were associated with the field too and somehow during my A-levels whenever I was in the Law class, I never had to study it. Somehow it felt like I knew it already.
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