DEEPAK SINGH
Creative Director, Deepak Singh tells us about his latest project, the best creative work around and how David Droga inspires him. 
Image: Deepak Singh. TBWA\India. (Formerly of DDB Mudra, India)
The latest projects I'm working on are...
Some social campaigns along with campaigns for KDD Juice and Planet Fashion. The social ones are hard-hitting campaigns on corruption and saving animals, while KDD is a fun based idea and the Planet Fashion campaign is based on art-direction and photography. This way I get to try out various methods for each project, so every time I do something it looks different and doesn’t have my signature mark.
The best creative work around at the moment is...
The installation done by Perfect Fools, Sweden for Converse shoes. I also liked the “Decode Jay-Z with Bing” work done by Droga 5, which won the Cannes Grand Prix. Also, work by Stefan Sagmeister - he is amazing and innovative.
I take inspiration from...
New art styles and innovations around me. I observe the things that happen in daily life and try to use them in my campaigns. Most of the international awards that I have won are inspired from what I see around me. I like to experience it and use it in advertising. Advertising is easy, we make it look difficult.
The ad festival I will be attending this year is...
I will try and make it to Cannes this year. Internationally, most creative people enter all kinds of their work there.
What got my attention at the last festival I attended is...
I loved the work presented by Eva Ruckie and Sabestian Noel of Troika, UK. Both the pieces “Firefly” and “Cloud” were amazing installations and an innovative use of technology.
What was the best era to be a Creative was...
I believe there is no particular time for creativity. It is there everywhere, every time. The important thing is to do something that changes the thinking process of people and give them a new perspective. Any era is a good era.
The next big thing in the world of advertising will be...
If you are asking about medium, I think innovative technology will be the new way of advertising. In the last few years installations and technology combined is creating a great impact. The best thing about technology is that you can’t guess the output until it’s complete and finally in front of you. It is an invention.
As for a person in advertising, I don’t think you can single out someone in such a large family of talented creative brains, but I’d say people who are getting more into innovation and ideas, especially interactive, whether it is on the web or via an installation. I believe that it is the idea that makes people big or small, not their designated post.
In a film, I’d like to be played by...
Indian actor, Rahul Bose.
The piece of digital work I wish I thought of is...
WWF’s “WWF File Format”, which won Gold at Cannes. It is so simple and to the point, and a more action oriented idea than just a claim or an ad.
The person I most admire in the industry is...
David Droga. His work is amazing. He is unstoppable and surprises us every time with a new way of looking at things. He’s worked on campaigns for such a variety of clients – from Obama, NSPCC, Burger King “Fiery Fries” to the Club 18-30 print ads or even his recent work on Puma. Every campaign is new and different and that is what inspires me. He is someone I look up to.
My dream collaboration is...
Droga 5 :)
Skills I look for in up and coming talent are...
I only look for any one strong point he or she has. The rest is how I can help them use that single strength like a weapon to their own advantage, because I believe that art is a very vast field and that everyone can’t be good at everything.
A piece of criticism I’ve received is...
“Will you join a studio for retouching images? You are not fit for creative.” But this was the line that gave me strength and I thank them for telling me this because I worked really hard after that. So it was good that they said it to me in person :)
The last song I listened to was...
“Baat Niklegi Toh Door Talak”, a Ghazal by Jagjit Singh.
Image: Olive Mobiles "with mobile tracer" featured in Lürzer's Archive Vol. 5/2011. Art Director: Deepak Singh
Video: WWF "Save as WWF, Save a Tree"
See Deepak Singh's work that has been featured in Lürzer's Archive on our online archive.
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