It wasn’t too long ago that “global” work meant producing something here in the US and then adapting it for use in other markets, or even producing different campaigns for different markets. In the past year or so, we are seeing more and more work that originates somewhere else first and then makes it’s way to the United States for air. And it seems the world is collaborating more and more. An ad agency in Moscow creating a Pepsi campaign using a director from Austria, through a production company in the Czech Republic, a music house in the US and an editor in Germany for a commercial that will air in the US, Europe and the middle east is just one example of this new form of globalization.
The world’s creative resources are becoming increasingly easier to access. Technology has brought people closer together than ever before. Between email, FTP, video conferencing, and general mobility, the only thing separating New York from Hong Kong, are a few time zones. From the commercial perspective, products and the way we utilize them are becoming increasingly similar from country to country. 10 years ago, Nutella (a chocolate hazelnut spread) was a product I would bring back from Italy to share with my friends in the US–it’s now found in Shenzhen, China at the local Walmart. I don’t think Sam Walton ever envisioned selling Nutella, let alone in Shenzhen. So go the ways of advertising.
Beyond Commercials I am writing today from seat 11D aboard a KLM flight from Amsterdam to Abu Dhabi. I will spend approximately 34 hours in the air/in airports all for 48 hours on the ground in Abu Dhabi. We are in Abu Dhabi attending a kickoff meeting for a large-scale entertainment venue for which we will create music, sound design and audio mixing.
Rewind 5 years ago–where the hell is Abu Dhabi?
It seems like these days EVERYTHING is “going global”. Globalization is a word I hear at least a few times a day. For us, as a music and sound design company, I’d say 25 percent of our work originates outside the US. These numbers are continually increasing, therefore we must continually adapt our business and the creative work based on what’s needed in a global entertainment marketplace.
So far, US and European based companies have taken the lead on the creative entertainment front. Developing regions yearn for the kind of talent we have. Emerging markets in Asia, Africa and the Middle East are hungry for entertainment content, but do not always have the level of expertise, nor the global outlook we have enjoyed for decades in this field. We are still in a position to be the global leading edge on the creative front and it’s a great time to jump in and develop partnerships with clients everywhere. Our company has had the opportunity to work in Shanghai, Singapore, Frankfurt, Moscow, Dubai, Hong Kong, Hamburg, Paris, Amsterdam, and Seoul, all in the last year–but this is only the beginning. For all of us, there are great opportunities for true global expansion and partnerships in an industry we all developed. We have the resources; the only obstacle is how to combat the jet lag.
Brian Yessian is the executive creative director of Yessian Music, an original music/sound design and music licensing house.
