Ignition

My Insight Resume

1. What is the first insight you remember?

At the age of thirteen, I learnt with the hard way that a premature self satisfaction is the start of annihilation when my throne as the number one student was been overtakes by my classmate. Since kindergarten I always been a bright child and I constantly finished the school year as the top dog, at that moment no one could ever touch me, not even close. Being in that circumstance where everything was so easy to accomplish and also the lack of competitiveness at that time, made me had this syndrome of cockiness. I started to take my cleverness for granted, I let down my guard, I took my eyes away from the ball, and it made me pay, BIG TIME! I still find it interesting that my first memorable insight was inspired by clumsiness and was all about talent preservation. Perfect preparation for the advertising business.

2. What is your best insight?

Realizing that even though my heart wanted me to become a professional basketball player, my size and talent were conclusive evidence that I would never make the grade. A deficiency in something you truly love is hard for many people to swallow (just watch the Idol audition for the proof). My insight was really about knowing your limit and accepting the truth.

3. What made it great?

This insight saved me a lifetime of frustration. It made me realize early on that there were limits in life, and helped me accept the notion that no matter how eager you want something, you can’t do it on hearts and wishes alone. You need some tools to make it happen and most of the time the tools are essential. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t reach for the stars, you just need to know what it takes to get there and have an objective analysis whether you have enough of “IT.”

4. What was the problem it solved?

It taught me to be realistic at a young age and detoured me away from a potential life of rejection.

5. Can you connect the dots that led to this insight?

Despite being a good passer with a pretty good field goal presentation (I was a point guard), when I looked around and compared myself to other players my age at some regional championship, I began to realize my shortcomings. This may have been my first encounter into research, analysis, and insight. To reach the top at any field, you simply have to be a cut above the next guy, not a cut below. And that goes for the next guy and the next guy as you climb up the chain. You have to be constantly at least a cut above. Later on when I entered the advertising business, that insight becomes the filter for my ad. The work always had to be a cut above what everyone else was expecting.

6. What is your second best insight?

Realizing that there was something else I wasn’t cut out for. After high school I went to the university majoring visual communication design, graduated with good grade and I could say I had a decent talent to get me through the job as a graphic designer for 2 years. But again, somewhere along the way reality bites me and an epiphany came to me: I knew I would never be great at it.

7. How would you characterize your ideas?

I always have been passionate about the ideas that very strip to the bone simple & easy to understand yet so spectacular in impact. I love when people could see the ideas and relate to it.

8. What is your creative signature?

Advertising that speaks to your heart as well as your head. Advertising that enlightening and at the same time evoke some particular emotion inside you, whether it’s touchy or funny or empathy or even hatred. I always believe that a great ad is something that either can make you cry yourself out or make you laugh your ass off, because in a world of parity products and services, advertising that packs an emotional thwack definitely gives you a big edge.

9. Who are insightful people you admire?

Neil French for his classy act and bona fide works he brought to the advertising business. Jim Aitchison for his valuable books that gave me more knowledge about the landscape of the advertising world than 4 years of academic bullshit I got from my college years. Alex Ferguson for teaching the value of “no one individual is greater than the team.” Ole Gunnar Solksjaer for showing is not the quantity that matters, it’s the quality. Bruce Lee, Muhammad Ali and Eric Cantona for enlightening me about the necessity of an attitude. Denzel Washington for never failing to put a heart behind his every work and Steve Job for always knowing what the people want and for having the talent and insights to deliver it.

10. Who are your creative mentors or role models?

So far in my short career in the advertising business, I once met a great mentor: my first real creative director, Chamim Nurwulanto. He is the been there done that seen it all guy, from a paste up artist to the award winning creative director on one of the most competitive agency in Indonesia, who happened to be a great teacher. He showed me the true evidence of a passion.

11. When all else fails, to whom or what do you turn for inspiration?

Inspiration is already there in the universe, waiting patiently for someone with sharp observation and sensitive heart to snap it, sometime but rarely it struck you out of nowhere just like a direct message from God. In a simple way to explains, inspiration comes in many forms. For me, in the middle of watching a movie or hearing a song, some particular sentence that meets the eye when I read a book, or that silence time I had when I go to the bathroom to unload my excess baggage works too. But the best inspiration is just talking to people. Sometimes one word dropped into a conversation can get ideas flowing like a great flood.

12. What is your greatest fear?

Many things I guess, height, ghost, war, but if you mean something that related to the advertising field I have to say my greatest fear is that advertising will never again be quite so much fun as it once was before the demand for efficiency displaced the charming, nonchalant innocent quality of the work. An industry where all the people in it get so frustrated because everything has been done and start to lose the patience that needed to be able to come out with high quality works, and then they just become a lousy copycat.

13. Describe your ideal client?

Someone who treats you as a partner, who’s reasonable, sympathetic, intuitive, empowered to make the big decisions and NOT AFRAID to make them. Mostly, it’s someone who creates the environment in which great work can flourish, someone who knows when is the perfect time to interfere or to just back off.

14. How do you stay in creative shape?

I always believe in practice makes perfect saying, and because I’m a copywriter so I prefer writing. All kinds of it: letters, speeches, ads, films, you name it. Writing is just another way of thinking. The more you think, the more ideas you’ll generate and therefore, the more you’ll create. Writing is like shooting the free throw. The more you do it, the more easy and accurate it will be. Let it go and even Michael Jordan will slowly turns to Shaq.

15. Define luck.

It’s what happens when the preparation meets opportunity. I’ve always believed that you make your own luck.

Freestyle Frog

This idea came out on some chit chat about nothing brainstorming session between me, Herman and Dedi on Pomato. This and another idea was a frog using electric racket to catch a fly. The main message was change to survive.

Later on Dedi and his partner for Daun Muda Award Cecil (a very talented art director and illustrator, trust me on this) used the idea and executed it beautifully. I like it so much, just exactly like what i imagined when we talk about it on that brainstorming session.

But unfortunately the idea couldn't deliver them to be top 10 finalists. Personally i like this so much, not just because i had some participation but because it answered the brief on every level. Stupid judges, especially when i saw all the top 10 finalists work, some are very good but the majority are all crap compared to this.

Meooowww

This is also my portfolio with Pomato Asia. The case was HSBC was opening a new branch on Mangga Dua, one of the biggest business center in Jakarta with the Chinese people as the majority player, one of the most hard clients to persuade.

So to introduce HSBC to them and show them that we understand their needs, we send a creative brochure just like you see above. For me it's simple and straight to the point work yet had a concept and creative twist in it. Not over the top, not under expectation, just perfectly adequate...=)

The Future Teller

This is one of my portfolio from my previous office Pomato Asia (you better watch this name because it's gonna go big in the future). The client is HSBC that just had a new risk management product cooperated with a huge insurance and financial company, Fortis if i'm not wrong.

So to launch and introduce this product to all the potential customer, we made a direct mail with crystal ball. We send it and gave the manual of how to operated the crystal ball to foresee the future and avoid risks, but if you can't do that well you always had an option to be our customer.

Personally and objectively i see this piece as one of the most cool works i've ever done with Pomato and Herman Tantriyadi as the Creative Director. But the jury of the 2006 Citra Pariwara didn't have the same vision i guess, but who care, F*@k them all, the most important thing is I love it, love it, love it.

Rewind

Another portfolio, this time is for Staedtler eraser...=)

Hondaluya!

Another Honda's print ad, this time is for the congratulation ad for Honda Fastron Pertamax Racing Team for winning the 5th series of Indonesian Grand Touring Car Championship.

The published headline actually wasn't this, but in my ideal world the headline would be like this one hahahahaha...=) Oh yeah the art direction was done by Kiko, my art director partner also.

Millions In One

This is one of my portfolio for All New Honda Jazz, the approach is not something new or groundbreaking. But i think in automotive category this kind of execution is quite fresh, and beside that the most important thing is it’s relevant with the message that I want to share about this car. But that just me…=)

Warranted Save Arrivals

Ini adalah salah satu portfolio yang buat gue sangat bersejarah cieeeee hehehehe, karena ini adalah print ad pertama gue yang dipublish...=). Iklan ini dibuat pada saat gue baru beberapa bulan di Pomato, untuk perusahaan forwarding WSA yang kantornya kebetulan ada di lantai bawahnya Pomato. Gue ngerjain art and copynya buat iklan ini dengan supervisi dari Herman. Walaupun bukan award winning ad but i like this piece very much karena it sets a distinctive style dari iklan-iklan perusahaan forwarding yang lain. Terasa banget waktu udah publish di majalah Sailing, this one is stand out among the crowd, so menurut gue ini adalah debut yang ngak malu-maluin hahahahaha, thanks God...=)

Milky Dairy

Ini hasil waktu masih berkutat sebagai designer nih, packaging susu buat anak-anak "Fresha". I really enjoyed when i make this project, ngak tau knapa seru aja hehehehehe.

Bijak Bajak

Portfolio lagi nih hehehe, kali ini kerjaan zaman kuliah dulu DKV 5 berarti tahun 2003 kalo ngak salah. Ini adalah project dari temen gue Chandra Wijaya, n gue bantuin di bagian copynya, dari pembuatan nama sampe copy-copy di dalemnya. Way before two guys from a multinational agency win a Young Guns Award from ADOI with the same idea, we already done it hahahahahahaha...=D No offense.

Pinjam Pinjem

Ini portfolio gue waktu ngerjain HSBC lagi bersama Pomato, gue suka dengan pendekatan ini tone n mannernya pas aja menurut gue buat case Pinjaman HSBC. Oiya waktu itu kalo ngak salah kita bikin sekitar 4 seri n ini adalah salah satunya. Tapi versi ini gak pernah nongol karena klien lebih prefer make foto orang...=(. Bad move in my opinion, but who am i to judge...hehehehe

Bilang Billing

Ini adalah salah satu dari portfolio gue. So the case is kebanyakan nasabah HSBC begitu dapet billing statement, mereka banyak yang malas membukanya padahal yang rugi dengan sikap ini adalah kebanyakan ada di pihak mereka. Jadi HSBC ingin merubah habit tersebut, so ini adalah salah satu alternatifnya....=)

Jazz Up Ur Love

Dateng yak berbondong-bondong ke MTA hari Valentine nanti, ada event pinky n lovely dari Honda Jazz...=)

Surviving Change

Ini adalah entry yang gue kirim buat Daun Muda Award musim 2006/2007 hehehe. Puji Tuhan kepilih buat jadi finalis, iklan ini gue buat 3 versi n ini adalah salah satunya....=)

Julian Opie Exercise

I make this one as an exercise, karena setelah jadi copywriter n lama ngak ngedesain gue takut aja kalo ntar lupa caranya hahahahaha...=)

Parade Jazz Nasional 2008

Ini adalah print ad yang tidak terpublish, yaitu tentang keberhasilan Honda memecahkan rekor MURI untuk konvoi mobil sejenis terintegrasi di 9 kota dengan jumlah terbanyak.