ninelivesmagazine-blog

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Interview: Advertising Creatives, Oli + Josie

Gourmet air

We get a fantastic opportunity to interview a creative team who are currently doing a placement at BBH. Meet Oli and Josie, the duo who met at the famous Watford Advertising course. Some of their placements include Anomaly, Droga5 and Mother. This week we get to interview the team to find out what inspires their brilliant ideas. 

How did both of you meet? What were you both doing before starting your career as creatives? Josie did Fine Art at Camberwell and Oli did Philosophy at UCL. They put us together on the Watford Ad course.

What is the most interesting project you have both worked on and why? A spec brief for the BNP. Trying to promote something you strongly don’t believe in raises a few questions in your head. What drew you both to pursue advertising? Seemed like a fair compromise between being an affluent lawyer and an impoverished artist. You get to make stuff whilst making a living.

You guys did the Watford Ad course, how was it? What were you favourite parts of the course? Best year of our lives and also the most brutal. We saw the insides of more than twenty-five different agencies and they all gave us free pens.

Your first girlfriend

How did you come up with brilliant idea behind 'Lucky people come back as Swiss cows'? We must have been slightly tired and delirious. We all know Switzerland is good for the outdoors, and who spends more time there than a cow?

Lucky people come back as swiss cows

One way of taking out creative block is using the ‘Creative Unblocker' which is something that you had both created. Is there also other specific methods that you would recommend when tackling creative block? Rain dancing? Pigeon shooting? Laundry? The ‘creative unblocker' is supposed to work by being random, and we guess that could apply more generally too. Is there a certain way you both like to work when cracking a brief? What is your creative routine? Some people like to think individually but we usually just talk. Our routine involves creativity from 9:00 to 12:30, a break for lunch, further creativity until 15:30 followed by a creative slump which we recover from at about 18:00. What do you both like to do in your spare time? There's some good comedy clubs in London that are cheap or free to see What’s the best piece of advice that anyone has given you both? “Have fun”

Check out more of Oli + Josie on their site!

Follow them on twitter: @oliandjosie

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There's No Such Thing As A Digital Strategist

by Craig Elston.

Craig Elston is Executive Vice President for Insight & Strategy at the Integer Group where he provides leadership to media planning teams. Follow him for tweets on leadership, communication and human behaviour. This post was first published on his blog in 2012.

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Interview with illustrator, Ricardo Bessa

Gallery of Mo

From creating detailed, vivid illustrations for the Financial Times and crafting brilliant artwork for the Gallery of Mo, Ricardo Bessa clearly has a flare for design. Born and raised in Portugal the talented illustrator is now based in London where he works as a full time illustrator. This week we interview Ricardo Bessa to find out what inspires his creatvitity.  

Please tell us a bit about yourself to start. 

Small-town guy, born and raised in Portugal where I studied Art & Multimedia at the Faculty of Fine-Arts of the University of Lisbon (major in Animation). At 21 I moved to London to do a masters in Illustration in Kingston University, where I currently live. 

After graduation I worked as an assistant for the D&AD Awards (Design & Art Direction), where I learned a lot about the design and advertising industries. I've been actively pursuing a career (and working) as an illustrator for about 2 years, which I now do full-time.

Gallery of Mo

What drew you to pursue illustration?

I knew I wanted to draw and when I started university in Portugal, it was because I wanted to do entertainment/video game design. But throughout the course I realised what I really liked was imagery with a narrative, a story to tell, so my focus shifted to illustration.

Portrait of Beth Tsai, WIRED UK 

Which artists/individuals inspire your work the most?

I won't lie, initially James Jean's Fables covers were really what made me look at illustration with different eyes, back in the day. I love Edwin Ushiro's work - he's definitely one of my favourite contemporary visual artists. I can't not mention Jillian Tamaki and the animation director Makoto Shinkai, and I also love photographers Ryan McGinley and Todd Hido.

You created characters for the GCSE maths book, were any of the characters inspired by people you knew growing up?

Perhaps one or two, actually! However, the place I grew up in wasn't nearly as diverse as I wanted this group to be, so imagination was the way to go for the most part.

What was the inspiration behind the Little White flowers illustration?

I wasn't able to watch the movie, Stoker, before I did the illustration, so I had to get the sense of it from the trailer. The colours and cinematography in it were beautiful, so it wasn't too difficult to get inspired by it.

Financial Times, Aliens

Is there a certain way you like to work? What is your creative routine?

I usually like drawing everything on paper (although this isn't always the case) and colouring in Photoshop. I occasionally mix in other media as well. My interest in visual work started from Photoshop years and years ago, so going digital at some point is pretty much a requirement for me to finish something.

What has been the most rewarding project you have worked on?

It's hard to say, I'm fortunate enough to have had many. I think a couple of them are projects I can't post about yet - once again, I feel really lucky as it seems I'm getting increasingly interesting projects to work on. But the Zizzi murals have been great because I got to see my work in really big format; I also loved seeing the finished product when I did the backgrounds for a short Kix TV animation.

What are the biggest lessons you’ve learnt about creativity in the course of your work?

That it's more about working regardless of how inspired you feel, and not so much about being inspired. It's impossible to wake up feeling super creative every day, and often you just have to sit and force inspiration to come by trial and error.

What do you like to do when you are not designing? 

Spending too much time on the computer, probably! I love reading and I'm trying to do more of that. I also try to exercise, which can be difficult during busy periods. But I try!

What’s the best piece of advice anyone gave you?

"Enjoy life while you can", probably. That was my mom, telling me to travel more, ahah.

Little white flowers

You can check out more of Ricardo Bessa on his website and Tumblr

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Student Designs Shine at Google Campus

Crush by Damronmarc Ford & Chris Tait

Throughout the exhibition a common thread of exploring what can be done with an unusual material could be seen. For instance it was product designer Ammer Harb’s first time working with cardboard, which made the entire process both interesting and challenging. In a design reminiscent of the Alpha and Omega sculpture at this year’s Burning Man Festival he created Embrace Chair: its open arms mimic the act of wrapping one’s arms around another. “I think the next step would be to try and replicate this design but with wood,” he said when asked if he would develop the idea further.

Crostley Table by Emma McBride and Anglepoise by Matt Rowe. Photo by Diana Meraz.

A few feet away Emma McBride’s Crostley style turntable and table inspired by her love of old records was on display. “I love old record players so I decided to make one. Who knows, I might be able to rig up a mechanism that would let me play records on this later on!” Not a far stretch considering this first year Industrial Design student loves making stuff and can’t imagine doing anything else.  

The biggest hurdle for the students involved was figuring out designs that were both beautiful and functional. Given the 24 hour time frame it’s perhaps a miracle that any designs managed to achieve both things. Designers Sophie Jayne and Milo Deane's background in engineering helped them recognize that it would not be enough to create something beautiful without making sure that it also worked. The result of this was a beautiful rocking horse reinforced with several layers of cardboard that allow it to hold the weight of a small child. Similarly, Matt Rowe’s Anglepoise lamp combined a painstakingly made lampshade with an electrical rig and working energy efficient bulb: for all intents these pieces were ready to leave the show room and find a home.

Rocking Horse by Milo Deane and Sophie Jayne

Scrowling through these designs gives a glimpse at what can be achieved with an idea and not quite enough time to make it happen. Take a moment to appreciate the ingenuity of the individual designs and the quirkiness of cardboard that draws them all together. 

Home

Birdcage

Potted Plant by Chris Tait

Juke Box

Embrace Chair by Ammer Harb

Stephen Ao hard at work

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Interview with Illustrator, So Kyeong-seop

G-SHOCK Artwork

Creating stunning artwork for the G-SHOCK competition and the whimsical  Madclown album illustration is not the only work crafted by the talented illustrator who is currently studying in at Sejong University in Seoul. So Kyeong-seop has already exhibited his artwork in several festivals and galleries all over South Korea. This week we interview So Kyeong-seop to find out what inspires is creativity.  

Please tell us a bit about yourself to start. 

Hello. My name is So Kyeong-seop. I was born in South Korea. I am 24 years old. I am currently a student at Sejong University in Seoul. I majored in Industrial Design and I will be graduating this year. I am majoring in product design in university and I am personally working in visual design works as well.

What drew you to pursue illustration and graphic design?

Before going any further, I think I should mention the general emotional and social atmosphere of our country. Our country bases on Confucianism so it is a virtue to listen to adults. Adults continuously tell us children, "Study hard and get into a great university (= 4 years private university in Seoul)," “You need to get into a great university and work in a major company." They refer to those who do not live that way as failures, and we have been setting our lives to their standard of success. They do not stress the importance of 'why and what children have to study.' Most teenagers do not even know what they are interested in and they just spend their adolescent period preparing to 'get into a great university.' I was also one of them. Ever since I was little, I enjoyed painting and so, my dream naturally formed into becoming an painter. As time passed, my dream changed into a cartoonist and designer. I thought my dream would naturally come true once I got into a great university. But that was not the case. It is hard to get a job in our country without a diploma of a 'great university.' So, university was simply a process which children had to go through to 'get into a major company,' a standard of success set by the adults. The atmosphere in university was like an job center instead of a place of learning and seniors were working to get into major companies. Back at that time, the image of a designer I dreamt about was not a office worker, so I felt resentment about my dream and I went to the army after completing my freshman year in university (men in South Korea have to serve in the army for 21 months.) From the time I started serving in the army up until I returned to school, I thought carefully about my dream and I decided to start over to find it out. I began painting again, just as I drew innocently during my younger days. When I came up with some paintings, I sent my portfolio to some galleries which had contests for new artists. I got selected for one of them and held a small private exhibition. More people came to see me than I had expected so I was caught up with artworks and exhibitions for awhile and then I recently decided that I want to become a designer again. The reason for this is because a big trait of paintings is letting one express themselves and becoming satisfied by it. I realized that I had the desire to communicate with more people than I thought. Right now, I am working on different graphic operation besides paintings by setting BX designer as my goal.

Madclown album artwork

Which artists/individuals inspire your work the most?

Marcel Duchamp shakes the trend of arts through changes of viewpoints. Amongst designers, I think Stefan Sagmeister stands out. This designer seems to freely cross the barrier of fine art and design.

What inspired you to design the illustrations behind the G-SHOCK Artwork illustration?

G-Shock operation was for a contest. It might be better to say that my intention of working on this was the same as the album cover, than to say that I was inspired by something. It was a voiceless cry 'I am not trying to do fine art, I know how to do things like this too!' Sadly, I did not get into the award winning ranking. Once I saw the award winning works, I realized that the reasonvI couldn't win was probably because G-Shock clock did not take up a big proportion of my work. My theme was to express the 'form of G-Shock' and I focused on the freedom that sturdy G-Shock clock brings to people and expressed this aspect. The title of my work was 'G-Shock gave us freedom.'

Is there a certain way you like to work? What is your creative routine?

I try to think about the most general things and those that are opposite of those thoughts. I mainly think about really ridiculous things, and I try to balance out ways to express these ridiculous thoughts while clearly delivering my message. For example, I tried to make a book that cannot be read for a school project where compilation was to be made with any theme. I made it in a way where I　put glue between papers after the book was made. This made the book rip when it was opened. I meant to question things that resulted from human greed through this book. The papers which made the book were in different colors so the book worn out after looking at everything on purpose looked beautiful in a way but also look awful in another sense.

Toast! (Give a rouse)

  What has been the most rewarding project you have worked on?

Though it has not been long since I began my career, I based on my career of paintings to become a designer instead of an artist of fine art, and "Madclown album cover" was the first attempt for this change. It was not an operation I did because of a request. It was just a personal operation (for practice).

What are the biggest lessons you’ve learnt about creativity in the course of your work?

There is a famous saying by Van Gogh, If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint’, Then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. People take actions once there is a goal. Also, they come across coincidental effects along the way. It is not limited to design or painting. People need to just take action. Of course, plans are certainly needed beforehand.

  What do you like to do when you are not designing? 

I always feel a need to achieve something. So, I cannot rest comfortably even on days off. I sit in front of the computer and spend time without doing much and regret it by saying 'Ugh, I should have just rested.' Movie theater is the place I usually go to when I really decide to rest. I like spending time in a cafe, just reading or organizing my thoughts.

  What’s the best piece of advice anyone gave you?

I remember what a professor recently said to me. "You are so unique. It seems as if a adolescent full of complaints about the world and an old elder exist together in you." At first, I did not know what this meant. But, I took it in as a compliment. It seemed as if this organized my values in one sentence. I always had complaints and tried to have another perspective on things that are taken for granted by everyone. Yet, I still tried to maintain realistic senses.

I came up with something very interesting for my graduation project. I am planning to upload it on Behance during the end of this year. I hope that people will give a lot of attention. Lastly, I would like to thank “Raminder Samra” for providing an opportunity for this great experience.

  Artwork for a 'Robot' Exhibition 

You can check out more of So Kyeong-seop on Behance

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Interview with illustrator, Easy Ramos

Batman rider

After Studying in the school of comics and graphic arts at Escola Joso, Easy Ramos currently resides in Barcelona. An illustrator for 15 years, Easy clearly has an eye for illustration. His unique work is a combination intense shadows and intricate detail, each piece of work showcases a story. This week we interview the talented illustrator to get an insight into what inspires his work.

Please tell us a bit about yourself to start. 

My name is Jose, but better known as Easy Ramos in networks. I was born on February 29, 1988 in Castellon de la Plana, but currently reside in Barcelona for three years. I began my studies of high-school graduation Arts, but later decided to study at EASD Technical Illustrator Castellon. Once I finished, I came to Barcelona to study in the school of comics and graphic arts at Escola Joso. Well, you could say I'm an illustrator for 15 years. At that stage I used to do decoration work by graffiti, clothing stores, pubs, clubs, etc.

What drew you to pursue illustration?

I really don't know, I think it was rather a necessity. I've always drawn, so I think that it's like a river inevitably going to focus on this, no doubt.

Doble Bypass 3 Fanzine

Which artists/individuals inspire your work the most?

My biggest influences come from various artists, Yoji Shinkawa, Ashley Wood, Kent Williams, Mike Mignola, Egon Schiele, Klimt, minimalist design and various manga artists. 

Different artists, but with something in common.

  What inspired you to design the illustrations behind Vulcan Raven?

What's behind this picture? Haha, if I'm honest, it was a practice with Photoshop brushes, in school we were taught to make our own brushes and put into practice in this illustration. Why Vulcan Raven? As I said before, one of my biggest influences is Yoji Shinkawa, the first time I saw his art in MGS, I was fascinated, and one of my favorite characters is Vulcan Raven; big, strong, crows and a large gun haha.

Moon Fighters for Licor del Mono Fanzine

Is there a certain way you like to work? What is your creative routine?

Well, the way in which I feel more comfortable working is the evening until dawn. Although good, I do not like to always work in the same way, everything depends on the project and inspiration. Sometimes it's all day with short breaks. More than a routine, you could say that I work in cycles.

  What has been the most rewarding project you have worked on?

KEIH for Ediciones Babylon. It was a long project, but with which I learned a lot, to find myself and find what I wanted.

  What are the biggest lessons you’ve learnt about creativity in the course of your work?

The biggest lesson I learned today is that the drawing and illustration is a language that takes time to develop and has different stages. We all have influences and we like some more than others for their "language", artists by the way they express themselves. So, to stand out in the world of illustration you have to create your own, something different, but always from your nature. Be unique.

  What do you like to do when you are not designing?

Spending time with my family, with my friends, playing video games, watching documentaries or find out about what is happening in the world. Also cooking and looking recipes, cooking is a way to be creative and create. 

And if not, make sketches of upcoming artwork.

Vulcan Raven

  What’s the best piece of advice anyone gave you?

It is what you want, but strive to be

You can check out more of Easy Ramos on his Facebook page, Blog, Behance and Deviant art

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Sofia Coppola Directs Gap's Holiday Ads

Academy Award-winning director Sofia Coppola — known for films including “Lost in Translation,” “Marie Antoinette” and “The Virgin Suicides” — is the second top director to collaborate with Gap and Wieden & Kennedy. In August, Gap tapped director David Fincher to work with the retailer’s new global agency Wieden & Kennedy. The “Dress Normal” campaign — four black and white spots that have been running this fall — encourages people to “dress like no one’s watching.”

Ms. Coppola directed the campaign’s latest installment, with four colorful holiday-themed spots, celebrating individuality at seasonal gatherings of family and friends. The commercials will break in November in the U.S. and U.K., running on TV and in movie theaters. They all feature familiar Thanksgiving and Christmas moments ranging from sweet to cringe-worthy, as characters don items from Gap’s latest collection. Each ad ends with the tagline “You don’t have to get them to give them Gap.”

Each film is set to a different classic song. “Pinball” features “Deep Down,” by Hazel and the Jolly Boys.

Watch the spots here. 

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Interview with illustrator, Pâté

Bum Blebee

From being on the jury of D&AD to creating work for the V&A Museum of childhood, Paul Pateman clearly has an eye for design. His work has shown a brilliant combination of humour and intelligent illustration (not surprisingly winning countless awards to his name). This week we interview the talented illustrator to find out what inspires his ideas.

Where were you were born and where did you study? Did you always want to become a Graphic artist and designer? 

At University I studied Visual Communications and specialised in Advertising after my tutor told me that was where all the money and glamour was. So I ended up working in advertising for 13 years, with over 10 of those spent at Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO. About half way through my time there I realised I wasn't really drawing anymore, something I had done everyday since childhood. So me and my copywriter set about finding a client that we could write posters for that I could illustrate. That client was V&A Museum Of Childhood and our ads went on to become really successful at award shows, winning for illustration as well as idea. After that I was approached by illustration agents and I began taking commissions as well as writing advertising until two years ago I began to illustrate full time.

After being on the jury for D&AD, what was the most interesting piece of work that you had judged and why? 

The Dumb Ways To Die campaign for Metro Trains was by far the most interesting piece I judged at D&AD. Irreverent, funny, impactful, relevant, original, beautifully crafted and for a good cause.

East End Alphabet

What was the idea behind Je Suis Pâté and Pâté On Toast? 

I won a swimming competition at Pontin's Holiday Camp when I was a boy. A famous swimmer called Duncan Goodhew read my name out to collect my medal, but instead of pronouncing my name Paul Pateman he pronounced it Paul Pâtéman. From then on people called me Pâtéman that eventually condensed to Pâté. I wanted to use a pseudonym for my illustration work to distance it from the ad work I was doing so I called myself Pâté. Then the duck in the blender logo came which is still probably the illustration I'm most proud of. The Je Suis Pâté film was an self introduction film I did for an award I gave out at the YCN student awards and Pâté On Toast is my website because unbelievably Pâté.co.uk was taken.

What drew you to pursue graphic design and art direction? 

I love ideas and drawing, simple as that. When I was a kid I used to draw all the time, but hated the dark overlapping lines of colour you got when colouring in with felt tip pens. I loved the flat colour of professionally printed comics. When working in advertising I became familiar with Adobe Illustrator and immediately fell in love with it's mathematical precision and flat colour possibilities.

Which artists/individuals inspire your work the most? 

I find lots of people and their work inspiring but if I had to give you a top 5, in no particular order it would be Peter Grundy, Mick Marston, James Joyce, Mr Bingo and Craig & Karl.

TFL Oyster Cards

Is there a certain way you like to work? What is your creative routine? 

I like to think in the morning and do in the afternoon. I work relentlessly when I'm inspired and worry a lot when I'm not.

What has been the most rewarding project you have worked on and why? 

The V&A Museum of Childhood project. It launched my career and had everything I hold to be important in it: Ideas, craft and humour.

What are the biggest lessons you’ve learnt about creativity in the course of your work? 

You can't let anyone tell you what is good and what is not. You need your own barometer and set of principles that you use to steer your work and decide wether what you have done is worthwhile.

What do you like to do when you are not designing? 

When not doodling I love cinema, playing football, tennis and learning sanskrit. One of those statements is untrue.

Go Ultra Low

What’s the best piece of advice anyone gave you?

Leave advertising.

Checkout more of  Paul Patemen on his website or on Behance.

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Interview with Illustrator, Lucas Wakamatsu

 Fishes

A young, talented illustrator puts it brilliantly, 'I draw because I need to, it's the air I breathe'. This week we showcase Brazilian born Lucas Wakamatsu, currently studying Graphic design in Bauru. His illustrative work depicts depth and detail, a mesmerizing, sleek combination of shapes. In this weeks creative features we interview Lucas to get a better understanding of what inspires his work.  

Please tell us a bit about yourself to start. Well, my name is Lucas Wakamatsu, I'm brazilian. I was born in a small town called Jacareí near to São Paulo city. Today, I live and study in Bauru (five hours from São Paulo). I moved to Bauru, because I've started my college here. I study Graphic Design at UNESP college. I don't work as a illustrator yet (I'm working hard to became one someday). I draw, because I need to. It's the air I breathe.

What drew you to pursue illustration/digital art? I liked it when I had my first contact, it's something I feel comfortable when I'm doing, something that it's so common as breathing.

What has been the most rewarding project you have worked on?

I'm very young so I haven't worked on so many projects, but I'm very proud of all my illustrations.

What are the biggest lessons you’ve learnt about creativity in the course of your work?

Creativity... It's like loving a free spirit, you can't have her all the time, sometimes she's yours and everything flows, sometimes she is gone and you are left in the dark, alone. You can't control her. You can only learn to live this ways and enjoy the maximum when she's with you.

Three Monkeys

Which artists/individuals inspire your work the most?

Sadly, I can´t mention all the artists that inspire my work, because I don't remember all the names or even know their names. Uncountable artists have inspired my work and I can't remember all of them. However, there are some names that I just couldn't forget: 

Skottie Young: He was my first huge inspiration, when I first saw his illustrations I loved them, his style, the way he suit characters like batman, spiderman or wolverine into his style fascinated me.

Mike Mignola (Hellboy creator): I love everything he does, the simple way he draw and the ideas he has to all of his histories, he's one of my biggest inspirations.

Is there a certain way you like to work? What is your creative routine?

There isn't a recipe, there isn't a routine. I let it flow, the way I think its the best way. Sometimes the ideas simply come to my mind, sometimes I need to run towards them, It's hard to explain, it's too subjective, but it's way I see it. I have no process, no creative recipe or a standard way to work. I just happen the way it should be.

What has been the most rewarding project you have worked on?

I'm very young so I haven't worked on so many projects, but I'm very proud of all my illustrations.

 Stark

What are the biggest lessons you’ve learnt about creativity in the course of your work? Creativity... It's like loving a free spirit, you can't have her all the time, sometimes she's yours and everything flows, sometimes she is gone and you are left in the dark, alone. You can't control her. You can only learn to live this ways and enjoy the maximum when she's with you.

What do you like to do when you are not designing? 

I like to do things that release my mind from worries. I love cooking to my friends, trying new recipes, new flavors  while drinking a cold beer.

What’s the best piece of advice anyone gave you?

Sometime ago, when I was having my first drawing classes, my teacher Luiz Vilarinho said to me:

" Do not chase a style, It will find you" 

You can check out more of Lucas Wakamatsu's work on Behance

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Go Beyond - Land Rover

By RKCR/Y&R UK (2011)

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When Advertising Gives Back

It starts with a single shot of a girls’ dollhouse, complete with Barbie dolls and rhinestone encrusted miniature furniture. Backed by a rowdy chorus of “More than pink, pink, pink we want to think!” this 50 second spot is a seemingly ordinary toy advert that quickly (and gleefully) escalates into a young feminist manifesto of epic proportions. Created by GoldieBlox to market it’s range of intellectually challenging and anything-but-pink toys for girls, this Superbowl halftime advert would have cost $4 million, but was gifted to this small business by accounting firm Intuit in a competition to highlight small businesses that were making a difference in their communities. As far as campaigning for social good goes, this is one of the best examples that this year has produced.

The fact is that the power of advertising lies not just in immediate increases in sales, but in the imprints and associations that it leaves in the mind long after the original spot is forgotten. That’s a lot of power that can (and should) be used in the service of social good. So it’s important for brands and ad agencies to keep making creative work that addresses wider societal concerns: not only does it generate a ton of income for charities and businesses doing important work, in the case of this British Heart Foundation ad by Grey London it can actually save lives (42 to be exact, and counting).

However, brands that throw their clout and resources behind social causes continue to tread a fine line between showing genuine concern and being perceived as posturing to increase revenue. Lots of brands have been accused of green and pink washing to take advantage of the large movements that have organized around the causes for climate change and cancer awareness in the past decade. In the case of this years huge wave of fem-vertising, some brands such as Dove have a strong track record of empowering messaging that predates it by a few years. But what about Pantene’s “Shine Strong” campaign? Anyone who has seen their previous ads will be a little skeptical about this sudden shift from celebrity endorsement to feminist messaging. The reason why the GoldieBlox spot was so successful was because there was a strong connection between their product and the feminist message that the superbowl ad was built around… if brands cannot make an equally strong connection between their product and a cause, then it’s better to steer well clear. 

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Vogue Teams Up with Oxford Street

After a short detour to Manchester in 2013, Vogue Fashion’s Night Out London 2014 returned in a bid to get readers into stores. September the 23rd saw crowds descend on the Style Mile for after hours discounts, celebrity meet and greets, freebies and events.

With a print circulation of over 900,000 and a social media audience approaching 10 million on Facebook and Twitter alone, Vogue hoped to get fashion enthusiasts off their browsers and into department stores and retailers across Oxford Street and Regent Street. This year’s events featured a marketing blitz of attractions such as live window displays, live body painting by makeup brand MAC and talks on lifestyle issues hosted by Nike.

Fashion night out started in New York in 2009 as a way to give brands that were losing business during the global economic crisis a push. Although brands were initially sceptical about the ability of late openings to bring in shoppers, the resounding success of the first event has seen the initiative expand to 32 other cities in which vogue has a strong following. However, can this early success be replicated? One major problem facing retailers is how to transform store visits into sales. In many cases the draw of discounts and branded gifts may not be enough to generate sales, and brands may find that the costs outweigh the benefits.

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Fat cats: Wahaca

'Not so long ago, tequila girls, cheap shots and greasy tortilla chips were images that sprang to mind when ‘Mexican’ was done in Britain. At Wahaca we shook things up a bit and started doing things a little differently. Living in Mexico, running bars out there and having time to explore its amazing cuisine made me fall in love with the incredible vibrancy and freshness of real Mexican food.'

Nine lives rating

7.8/9

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Fat cats: The breakfast club

I don't think I can praise this cafe enough when it comes to delivering on flavour and excellent customer service. We were served by friendly and patient waiters and our food arrived within approximately 30-40 minutes of ordering. 

One particular dish not miss out on would have to be the chocolate brownie. Every morsel was packed with flavour, the texture being incredibly decadent. Each bite gives the illusion of consuming a bar of chocolate whilst the ice cream and berries served alongside creates a perfect balance. 

The laid back decor is something that is uncommon in the polished bankers  hub of E1, a non functioning television takes its place in the corner whilst a huge neon sign of 'sex drugs and bacon rolls' welcomes you in. The breakfast club seems to resemble a cooler version of an American burger bar. This being proven by the random fridge door that leads to a cocktail bar! Naturally there is a password to get in, which is apparently 'i'd like to see the mayor'.This cafe clearly has more than just good food and large portion sizes, it has character.

A place worth visiting! 

Nine lives rating

9/9

If you would like to enquire more information on reviews please email sayhellototheninelives@gmail.com

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Interview with graphic designer: Kieron Lewis

Please tell us a bit about yourself to start. 

Hello, my name is Kieron Lewis and I was born and raised in Brixton, on the playground is where I spend most of my days (right, lets get serious). I studied at Southampton University where I studied Graphic Design, Marketing & Branding. I’m not too sure how long I’ve been a Designer for, never really counted. But what I can tell you is that since school, Graphic Design was always my favorite subject – that, and English.

My first experience of working in the creative industry was when I was 16. I remember the day came at school where we had to choose what we wanted to do for work experience, and rather than choosing a retail or supermarket job (which is perfectly fine by the way), I guessed I was compelled to try that little harder to find an Advertising Agency, and one that was willing to be patient with me at that tender age.

Uffindell, an Advertising agency based in Farringdon, was that agency. Here I learned the very basic tools available to designers at the time, which were programs such as QuarkXPress – which is dreadful I might add, but it done the job at the time.

Loveurope, an Advertising agency based in Barbican, was next on my career path. I worked here from the age of 18, and despite this initially only being a one-off summer job, I ended up coming back every summer until the age of 22.

Since graduating last year at the age of 23, Loveurope offered me my first full-time job, working as their Junior Designer. I made some fantastic friends there, and worked on a number of exciting briefs for clients such as MasterCard and Bentley.

What more would you want coming out of university?

Currently I am in the process of looking to pursue a career within the Editorial world.I have an internship at IPC Media next week, where there I will be working on Women’s Health Magazine – exciting times!

What drew you to pursue graphic design?

I guess curiosity. Since I was young, I have always been curious to know what creative agencies were doing to make their work more unique from the rest, and pushing the boundaries between print and digital.

Graphic Design is all around us, whether we like it or not. We are bombarded with advertisement, gadgets etc on a daily basis, and I’ve always felt the need to want to embrace and have an opinion on it. But more importantly, hear the opinion of others too. 

Which artists/individuals inspire your work the most?

I tend to be more interested and inspired by Brands. Especially the ones who have a great tone of voice about them.

Innocent Smoothie is a brand I’ve always loved. So much so that I visited their HQ, as part of my Final Dissertation.

Despite being an exceedingly successful business, they have a fun, quirky and almost child-like essence about them. They have the balance perfect.

Established creatives such as Dave Birss and Patrick Myles are also people who I admire. Not just because of the great work they’ve produced, but more importantly their work ethic and believe. If you’ve never heard of these guys, Google them, and be inspired!

How did you come up with the idea behind The Profile Book?

Well the publication itself stemmed from the online blog, which was created by Rifle Communications. David Sinnet, who is a good friend of mine and the Founder of Rifle, knew I was approaching my final year at university and as I was already doing freelance work for him, I thought it would be an interesting idea to produce a publication, as well as a web design proposal for the existing site.

Whilst the number of submissions grew, so did the Profile team.

Sarah Benson & Nicola Manuel (my other half) were the latest additions to the team.

What do you look for when deciding which artists to feature?

It was a difficult decision as the artists and designers who kindly submitted their work was certainly at a high level. I was determined to have a good variety of disciplines within the publication.

When I think back to the process of this, it did take a long time but with the help and advice from my lecturers and the Profile team I was able to make what I thought was the right decision.

So far The Profile Book has featured about 300 artists: whose work struck a chord with you most? Why?

Being part of a project like Profile is amazing. I’ve seriously lost count how many talented artists and designers I have met online, and in person simply from this project.

Within the publication, I had the opportunity to speak with Happy Accident Collective – A screen-printing duo from Scotland. Two really down to Earth guys, and funny I might add. Read the interview on Issuu, and you’ll see what I mean.

HAC are a team I admire not just because of how successful their work has been in terms of sales, but more importantly their attitude. These guys will go far, I have no doubt.

What has been the most rewarding part of putting together The Profile Book?

 Well most of those who were featured in the publication came down to my Degree Show, where my work was on display. I don’t know what it is, but there is something about seeing your name in print that always brings a smile to people’s face. Everyone was really grateful, as was I.

I was even able to grab a few snaps on the day – have a look!

What are the biggest lessons you’ve learnt about creativity in the course of your work?

 The biggest lesson I’ve learnt is that, there is no lesson. Be free, don’t be afraid to break the rules – unless its client work of course, and more importantly listen to others and understand their perspective on creativity. There is no wrong or right answer, only opinions. Well those are my thoughts – am I wrong, ha?

 What are your hobbies?

Playing football (however it has been a while), visiting degree shows with my girlfriend, reading and gym.

What’s the best piece of advice anyone gave you?

Previously I spoke about Patrick Myles. Not only is he a creative I admire, but now he is a friend who I have met on numerous occasions. One quote he said, and I will never forget is, “Never forget those on your way up, you might need them on your way down”.

The full coverage of The Profile Book can be found on his website.

Follow Kieron Lewis on Twitter

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Interview with illustrator: Lizzy Nicholls

Were you always an illustrator? What drew you to pursue it? 

I've always liked drawing and studied Art theory in college and Uni, but to be honest I'm still a little shy when it comes to calling myself an illustrator...I've only been 'publishing' my drawings for a few months now. I've only just figured out how to use layers in photoshop so it's all quite new to me still!  

How did you come up with the idea behind literal scribbles?

About a year ago my mum mentioned that she couldn't wait to get home and put her feet up so I drew a little doodle of her placing some feet on the mantle piece. It got quite a good reaction from my friends and family and I guess all the sillyness snowballed from there...

What are your hobbies?

I think my main hobby would be drawing. I work in fashion 9-5 but actually really enjoy drawing and being silly. I like making being witty and Literal Scribbles is a nice little outlet for that.

Is there a certain way you like to work? what is your creative routine?

Normally my creative routine works in that someone says something and I just automatically picture is as a literal situation. Then it's just a case of putting pen to paper. I can't always get things right in the first go though - the other day it took me three hours just to draw a soda cup. It can be a little tricky to find the time and my photoshop skills are appalling but it's all a past time I love!

What is the best piece of advice someone gave you?

"Start a tumblr and hashtag the shit out of it". 

You can view more of Lizzy Nicholls work here.