What’s the impact of the pandemic on you, your company, your approach to doing business in the future? What practices emerged that you will continue even as restrictions are loosening?
The Pandemic has actually had a positive impact on me, personally, with regard to perspective and self-care. However, it has had a decidedly negative impact in the way of “doom-scrolling”. At Zambezi, we are adopting a hybrid office approach. Though we miss many things about in-person collaboration, we also appreciate there are days when remote work simply makes sense.
How has the call for equity, racial and social justice affected, honed or influenced your sense of responsibility as a company in terms of the content you create and/or your commitment to opening up opportunities for filmmaking talent from underrepresented backgrounds?
Prioritizing equity, racial and social justice is part of Zambezi’s DNA, and we know the work is never finished. Throughout my career, I have always wished the work our industry puts out more accurately reflected our population at large. This means broader representation across the stories being told, and the people telling them. I am encouraged by the efforts made since the murder of George Floyd and the reckoning that followed — but I am impatient.
In terms of our sense of responsibility, the primary shift has been externalizing the conversation outside the walls of our agency. As we look at the big picture, client partners and the company we keep are equally important. We have a better vocabulary and set of resources to hold each other accountable.
On a personal level, there is always something to decolonize. The films I watch, the books I read, the references I collect, the platforms I use, the people I follow, and the voices I choose to listen to constantly evolve. It is something to constantly tailor, because complacency will breed media algorithms that serve to further silo us.
What’s the biggest takeaway or lessons learned from work (please identify the project) you were involved in that was or is in the running for current awards season consideration (i.e., Emmys, Cannes Lions, etc.)?
This past year, I was lucky enough to judge some film craft, and I was struck by how many brands are still making gorgeous and impactful longer form films. Over the last 10 years, people talk about the shift from long-form content to smaller, immediate, quick-hit content, as if we have to live in a world with either one or the other. In the right context, short-form works — just as in the right context, long-form works, as does everything in between. All of these formats have an audience, and there’s room for it all.
While gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to content creation and/or the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2021 and beyond.
People will tire of post-COVID imagery and stories, and some of us never want to relive it in any capacity. Can we collectively decide we don’t need to see more people waving through windows because they can’t embrace? We have all been through a lot lately — and we’re ready for some LEVITY.
As for a forecast, big brands will continue to be called out more frequently for virtue signaling and co-opting cultural movements for financial gain. I believe marketers will start to become more self-aware and understand when it’s time to speak up because a cause exists authentically within their value set. They’ll start to understand we don’t need to insert ourselves into every conversation. Every cause is not an opportunity for ad dollars. Brands will start to better align themselves and examine their actions more strategically. At least, I hope this will be the case, but I’m a serial optimist. We need more true authenticity. Countless brands perform stunts and generate content to bring awareness to a multitude of issues, but they are not taking enough real action, which leads to policy change and laws that protect people. I think we’ll start to see more big brands really stick their neck out and be able to back it up.
What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?
A key goal is to shed light on and collaborate with emerging artists, designers, filmmakers, illustrators, makers, and creators who can bring new perspectives to the work. It is critical that we hold ourselves and our client partners accountable for representation, because we all know it’s good for people — and it also happens to be good for business.
What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2021 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
I feel like I say this every year and I know I’m not the only one… As far as 2021 trends thus far, branded entertainment and branded content is getting more interesting and surprising. It’s exciting to see progress in that space and discover emerging ways that brands can connect through film.
What work (advertising, entertainment)–your own or others–struck a responsive chord with you and/or was the most effective creatively and/or strategically so far this year? Does any work stand out to you in terms of meshing advertising and entertainment?
This year, there have been a few clear standouts in advertising that struck a responsive chord with me. For one, The New York Times did an excellent job with “The Truth Is Worth It”. Another great piece was “You Love Me” for Beats By Dre. I also feel Burger King really hit home with “Confusing Times.” Finally, the commercial and the experience created for Meow Wolf, Omega Mart were very entertaining.
- The New York Times, "The Truth Is Worth It"
- Beats By Dre, You Love Me
- BK, Confusing Times
- Meow Wolf, Omega Mart. (The commercial and the experience were all very entertaining.)
