Working within the intersection of creativity and techonlogy requires constant experimenting, flexibility, and a hunger to learn. We chatted with Neil Nand, Director of Creative Technology at Ogilvy Shanghai, about the importance of diving into the unknown in the role of a Creative Technologist.
What does the role of a creative technologist entail?
I think we hold the title for the most fun job in the advertising world — we fall into the fortunate middle of the Venn diagram of getting to work with absolutely creative designers, talented developers, always-thought-provoking strategists and valeted around by business directors to dig deeper into new innovations.
What kind of skills do you need to be effective in your role?
Being fearless, learning quickly and wrapping the discovery into a good story is really important — the conclusion needs to be easily understood by others.
You have to also be excited about your findings. If you’re not excited by it, then no one else will be — keep working at it till the problem and solution is exciting to everyone.
Where do creative solutions intersect with functional design?
Good question. Our brand leaders know the clients’ brand inside out. My role is to bring the outside in.
It is important to explore the unconventional places and outer peripheries of our industry to bring back ideas and different kinds of thinking that could bring unexpected value to our brands.
What’s the most challenging aspect of the creative technologist role?
The most exciting part of being a creative technologist is venturing into the unknown; the most challenging part of being a creative technologist is also … venturing into the unknown.
The reality is, you need to get comfortable with the unknown, if the technical obstacle was known then someone else would be doing it.
How do you see the role expanding with the introduction of the metaverse?
This is the new unknown, and it is my role to become the expert, fast. I need to be able to provide clear direction to our business and clients. I am a Westerner, deep seeded in China, I sit at the cusp of both metaverses, both developing in their own different ways; neither better or worse; simply different in technical implementation and cultural adoption — which makes my role as a Western China Creative Technologist paradox, that extra compelling.
Are there any passion projects you’ve worked on that you’d like to share?
The Coca-Cola Real Magic Lunar New Year campaign is definitely a stand-out. It is one of the most advanced (and ambitious) WeChat experiences in China right now. The objective was to create an activity that would bring people together. We built 3 light-hearted Augmented Reality (AR) multiplayer games controlled by the camera and microphone. Using JavaScript AI to detect facial expressions and multiple faces real-time, players could control the gameplay. The whole experience is beautifully crafted, feeling smooth and natural that it is easy to forget that we are pushing the limits of digital interaction.
