As part of an ongoing series highlighting young talent in the industry, Branding in Asia brings you “One Under 30: Young Creative Spotlight”, a regular feature that focuses on up-and-coming talent in the ad world.
This week we feature Ketan Sudhir Kadam, Creative Supervisor at FCB Interface in Mumbai. When asked what he would do if he had to opt for another career? Taekwondo – a martial art that for the moment he doesn’t get to use as he would like. “The only time I get an opportunity to use my skills nowadays is when I have to tackle four or five briefs at the same time.”
The Basics
Name: Ketan Sudhir Kadam
Age: 30
Agency: FCB Interface
Position: Creative Supervisor
Birthplace: Mumbai
Current Location: Amchi, Mumbai
Education: L. S. Raheja School of Art – degree in G.D. Art
Seven Questions
How did you get your first break in the industry?
I had a tough time in college. I didn’t have money to fund my college projects. The materials required for art projects were very expensive. And, I didn’t want my parents to take the burden of my college expenses. I was desperate for any kind of job that would fetch me some money.
That’s when Shridhar Badekar entered my life and gave me my first break. I did odd jobs, right from painting roads to drawing characters on the walls of newly opened restaurants. A break wasn’t the only thing that Shridhar Sir gave me, he also gave me life’s most important lessons as he felt I was a plucky lad.
What is your personal mantra?
Laugh when you’re exhausted or stressed. It’s the cheapest medicine.
From what person, place, or thing have you drawn your greatest creative inspiration?
People. They’re like walking-talking Google bots. You can ask them anything, and you’ll get a unique answer every single time. I always believe that conversations come with hidden insights. Once you decipher the conservation, you can use the insights for any relevant ad.
What do you love about the job?
That moment when someone says that’s a wonderful ad, I wonder who did it. I don’t care if people compliment me or not. All I care about is if people compliment my work. That’s the biggest achievement for me.
What about your job are you not so crazy about?
It takes up a lot of family time. I wish I could spend the same amount of time that I spend on briefs with my family. I’ve tried doing that in the past but never succeeded.
What is some work you’ve done that you’re most proud of?
Huggies Snap
The biggest movie spectacle of the decade, Avengers Endgame was slated to release soon. Every brand wanted to leverage this and get their share of PR. So, our task was to stand out in this sea of contextual ads.
That’s why we decided we won’t make an ad. We created a unique platform – A web app where users can wipe 50% off the products’ prices by just snapping their fingers. Just like Thanos, a character from the movie snaps his fingers to wipe off 50% of everything on the planet. Every successful snap was rewarded with a 50% discount coupon that could be redeemed while shopping online.
AAAI – Your agency helped us make this ad
The Advertising Agencies Association of India briefed us to create a Call For Entries campaign for the prestigious Adfest’s Young Lotus competition. The theme for the contest was ‘Stop Food Wastage’. So, to pinch the conscience of the young creatives and make them come up with ideas to end the wastage of food, we visited all the leading advertising agencies and collected the food wasted from their bins. And then made posters using nothing else but the food wasted by them.
We even made customized posters for agencies by using their fonts and addressing the agency creative heads directly. Thanks to this campaign, I won the young art director of the year award.
If you had to choose another career what would it be?
Taekwondo. It was my dream to represent India in Taekwondo. The only time I get an opportunity to use my skills nowadays is when I have to tackle four or five briefs at the same time.
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