Two M&C Saatchi Creatives Talk Making Art To Stay Fresh
M&C Saatchi creatives Sam Rowlands and Jason Leigh talk about their personal creative pursuits, and how it informs their advertising. Then they decided that, as they hadn’t seen each other in a long time, they’d prefer to interview each other…
Sam Rowlands — art director/painter/sculptor/fashion designer (as interviewed by Jason Leigh)
Sam forgot about our interview because she lost herself in painting, in a state of flow. She paints most nights after closing the M&C Saatchi laptop and is gearing up for her first solo exhibition.
The background of her Zoom camera is filled with neatly arranged canvases, paints, sculpture tools, fashion mannequins, a half-eaten dinner and sketches of nude women.
It was life drawing classes that helped Sam find her painting style.
Sam says: “My drawing style used to be super photorealistic, but then I got bored of that and started exploring with outlines, or just the shadows. Then I focused on hands and weird body parts. It all just kind of morphed into a style when I started to see similarities between the human form and landforms, now I’m experimenting with merging them.”
“Every night, I have to paint. Yoga is boring, and I’m not much of a meditator, so this is my unwinding thing. But my sculpture work is the most fun.”
Sam’s light sculptures are beautiful, interactive and odd. She was recently commissioned to make eight of them for the Sydney Zoo. Her last one was built with water-filled condoms, strung and lit up like a chandelier.
“It was hilarious watching parents’ faces as their kids squeezed them. They weren’t sure how to feel about it but they had to embrace it, because it was beautiful.”
“I exhibit with a group of art misfits called Tortuga Studios who put on amazing shows. In the last exhibition we did — one of the guys built a fully functional fire breathing dragon out of a bus. They don’t care about guidelines. If they think of something cool and it lights up, they build it,” she says.
Here’s what I know about Sam — she grew up as a sixth-generation cattle farmer, moved to the city to be a fashion designer, bought a motorbike and got lots of tattoos. She illustrated storyboards to pay her way through uni and worked in a lot of cool bars, the type where everyone wear leather jackets. I try to casually drop that my rock and roll band played in a lot of those bars, but she’s not impressed. We continue.
She switched from fashion into User Experience/User Interface (UX/UI) web design, then saw what the Art Directors were doing and realised that was exactly what she wanted. So she made her way into the creative department, quickly.
Samd adds: “I have a pretty eclectic creative past which has definitely come in handy as an art director. My art and sculpture give me the space to test out weirder things. It also forces you to get your hands dirty through every single inch of the process. Plus, I don’t know a client who would let me make a light-up condom chandelier.
“My art and advertising kind’ve inform each other. Art encourages work I want to make, and my work fills me with inspiration and references to test out in my art. Anyway, what else am I going to do when I get home…watch The Block?”
There’s a brief lull in conversation and Sam eyes off her paintbrush.
“I’ve got a lot to do tonight. After I finish this painting I’m going to design an app game thing, which is complicated but it’s going to come out really cool.”
Of course. Building an app at 10 pm.
“Yeah. I just want to do everything.”
Jason Leigh — Copywriter/musician/comedian (as interviewed by Sam Rowlands).
I call Jason at 9pm expecting a nice catch up, but instead I’m greeted by the screech of scotch tape. Jase is putting up DIY posters that bait people into calling his home phone with weird voicemails. The best ones end up as TikTok videos. I wonder if this is payback for forgetting about last night’s interview. The poster Jase is strapping to poles across the inner west says “Is your name Neil? Tell me what that’s like.”
So what’s the point of these? “Not sure really, I guess that’s the point,” he says. “I just like to make things, try weird stuff and not care if it fails. We’ve all got a lot of fails in us and it’s good to get most of them out on your own time. This one seems to be working though, I’ve currently got an answering machine full of Neils.”
How many fails are you up to now?
“About a million. I thought I was funny until I started doing stand-up comedy for people outside the inner west and bombed 50 times in a row. I threw up in a lot of alleyways before finally figuring out what makes exhausted parents, tradies and coked up businessmen laugh.”
“My last poster was about a missing cat who had a gambling addiction and wore a fedora, but hardly anyone called because it was too complicated. I’m trying a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ poster next, which probably won’t work. And my first few music videos were awful, but they taught me how to edit.”
Jason is one of those annoying people who can write songs, tell jokes and play pretty much every instrument. He’s been in around eight bands, has been on too many rock and roll tours for me to count and has done about 400 stand up comedy shows.
He shows me a gross blood blister in the crease of his fingers from two hours of non-stop drumming,
“When I wasn’t wearing a suit, I wasted my twenties touring around in ridiculous rock and roll bands. It was fantastic. I learned as much about building brands from musicians as I have from advertising people — give a band a few grand and they’ll be all over the news in a week. Being broke makes people think better.”
So…do you just want to do everything too?
“Yeah. That’s why we’re in advertising. And doing your own thing after work makes you more resilient. If your ideas die, it doesn’t sting as much when you have a gig that night. You can make more stuff, without rules. No one should try to express themselves exclusively through advertising campaigns, it’s not your money.”
I hear giggling from the phone and a little smirk on Jase’s face. He flips the camera to show a couple pointing and laughing at one of the posters he’s just put up.
“You know what, I take my answer back from before. This is the point. It’s fun to see strangers laughing at my dumb posters on the street.”
Jase leaves me there, saying he needs to finish his poster taping… but I have a solid feeling it’s to get home to listen to the new voicemail.
Please login with linkedin to comment
M&C SaatchiLatest News
‘Blair Is Mr Happy, Beau Is Mr Dopey, I’m Mr Grumpy’ – Top Gear Australia Hosts Reveal What It Was Really Like Filming
Top Gear features the cars you could never afford to drive. It's a bit like the bogan's Gourmet Traveller, really.
Nine’s Total TV Sales Lead Richard Hunwick To Step Down
Nine's Richard Hunwick calls time after 15 years. Hoping for a last trip to the Olympics before getting the gold watch.
Yahoo Academy Culminates With Pitch-Off For Musicians Making A Difference With Trip To Cannes In Cairns On The Line
B&T happy to support the Musicians Making A Difference initiative. Particularly any that encourages more Watusi.
TV Ratings 16/5/24: Nearly 2 Million Tune In To See Sky Blues Win In Women’s State Of Origin
B&T does make jokes about the Budget reply speech but, to his credit, Mr Potato Head rated OK last night.
Binge Launches “Scene:Scents” Sensory Entertainment Campaign, Via Thinkerbell
There's now scented candles to pair with BINGE shows. We're hoping Rex Hunt's Fishing Adventures doesn't hear about it.
Jolt Partners With Veridooh For Verification Of Its EV Charger Placements In UK
Although B&T's an avid supporter of EV cars, we'd definitely miss the smell of petrol and the service station pie.
Nine Ad Manager Named Principal Sponsor Of CommBank SmallBiz Week
CommBank's SmallBiz Week is coming to Melbourne on the 29-30 May. B&T's as confused as you are on how that's a week.
Pet Circle & Seven Communications Partner On “Pawtition” To Get Pets On Public Transport
B&T's concerned about the fleas, urine & faeces on public transport - and that's just from fellow passengers!
‘A Win-Win’ – How The Matildas Helped CommBank Become A ‘Globally Iconic Brand’ For The First Time
CommBank's sponsorship of the Matildas is a sport marketing masterclass. The opposite to Nick Kyrgios & his sponsors.
VML Australia Dominates The One Show With 5 Gold Pencils
VML Australia flying the flag at the One Show Awards in New York. Not that we need more flag waving at the moment.
Social Soup: Consumers Looking For “Informative” Not “Funny” Social Content When Making Buying Decisions
In a further blow to ventriloquism everywhere, new research says consumers prefer information over funny videos.
GIO Unveils New “Protect Precious” Brand Positioning & Campaign, Via Ogilvy
Insurer asks what's precious in our lives in new work. Which is better than asking is this business highly flammable.
Digitas & Heckler Singapore Launch Animated Symphony For Riot Game’s Valorant Champions Tour Pacific
Stony silence between you and the graphic arts team at Friday drinks? This gaming news could be an ice breaker.
Wavemaker Global CEO Toby Jenner Appointed Global President, GroupM Clients
Wavemaker’s Toby Jenner continues his career trajectory. But is it enough to move him up to the first class lounge?
Fast 10: Mindshare Head Honcho Maria Grivas On Her “Resting Smiling Face”
Mindshare is having a very fruitful 2024. Here, CEO Maria Grivas reveals her fertilisers & pruning tips to success.
Real Home Care Clients & Staff Star In New HammondCare Campaign
Aged care commercial uses real life clients & staff. B&T has not contacted the actor's union for comment.
Mutinex’s Henry Innis: “I’m Imperfect As A Leader”
Mutinex is being touted as one of the hottest start-ups in the land. And we don't mean that in an Elizabeth Holmes way.
Slew Of Senior Hires At Sparro by Brainlabs & Jack Nimble
B&T loves to report new hires as it shows the healthy state of the industry. That and cocaine usage at work functions.
Initiative’s Fein, Geer, Colter To Depart For Accenture Song
As you read first in B&T, there are significant comings-and-goings at Initiative. Though mainly goings, if we're honest.
Pizza Hut Fined $2.5m For Spamming Customers
To be honest, if you're going to spam customers, cheap pizza deals is probably on the low side of the dodgy scale.
Jetstar & Qantas Perception Ratings Soar After Bonza Cancelled Flights, YouGov Finds
This poll is further proof nothing builds a positive brand image like your competitor monumentally f@cking up.
Pedigree Launches AI-Powered Ad Initiative To Give All Dogs A Home, Via Colenso BBDO & Nexus Studios
B&T encourages this dog adoption initiative. And that's despite us barely being able to look after our own selves.
Apparent Launches “All Heart, No hassle” Integrated Campaign For Flight Centre’s Corporate Traveller
Apparent charged with Flight Centre's Corporate Traveller creative. Has avoided any gags about stolen hotel bathrobes.
South African Tourism CMO: ‘We Want Consumers To Experience SA Through The Eyes Of A Child’
B&T chats with South African tourism's Aussie CMO. Admittedly, we had to quickly rectify our Barossa Valley questions.
Market Research Firm TRA Names KFC’s “Look On the Fried Side Of Life” As Australia’s Favourite Ad
A poll of everyday Aussies has revealed our favourite ads. And it'll make difficult reading for the Harvey Norman team.
‘A Big, Big Step In The Right Direction’: Media Buyers React To News Corp’s D_Coded
There was a universal thumbs up for News' D_Coded event. Although there were calls for glitter bombs at the finale.
CommBank Announced As Presenting Partner Of Vogue Codes 2024
Vogue Codes is a top initiative encouraging women into STEM-based careers. All while wearing Jimmy Choos, apparently.
Brad Garbutt Joins OMA As Marketing Lead
Seasoned adlander Garbutt joins the outdoor association. Says he's got the DOOH down pat, but working on the PDOOH.
TV Ratings 15/5/24: Gruen Pulls A Crowd For Aunty As It Enters 16th Season
Although B&T typically shuns predictions, we're expecting big numbers for Peter Dutton's Budget reply speech tonight.
D_Coded panel: ‘If You Are A Marketer Handling Data And Haven’t Spoken To Legal, You’re In Trouble’
This fiery panel was a highlight of Tuesday's D_Coded event. Not that it spilled out into the carpark.
SBS Audio Campaign Tells The Stories Of New Australians, With Multilingual Content Offerings To Assist Migrants
SBS Audio has launched a new marketing campaign for its ‘Australia Explained’ service which supports new migrants to successfully navigate life in Australia and achieve a greater sense of belonging and social cohesion. SBS’s flagship service for new migrants, Australia explained, has launched a multi-platform marketing campaign that reaches into the heart of the migrant […]
Tracker App Launches, Promising Consumers A Read On Brand’s & Products Sustainability Chops
Shoppers can now get access to sustainability information at their fingertips through Tracker, a first-of-its-kind mobile app. The Tracker app centralises sustainability data into a single, easy-to-understand format, helping shoppers make informed choices about the brands and products they support. Shoppers can simply scan the barcode of their favourite supermarket, chemist or department store item […]
Channel Factory Expands Team Across Australia & New Zealand By 20%
Social media agency Channel Factory announces a significant lift in staff numbers. Doesn't thank Tuesday's Budget.
Jaywing Extends Strategy Team Appointing Fran Martin As Senior Brand Strategist
As is often said, you can never have too much strategy. Same can't be said of programmatic & AI.
Tourism Tasmania Taps Broadsheet For Latest “Off Season” Campaign Iteration
Do you like to drape yourself in sheepskin, flannelette & weird, wooly hats? Tasmania in winter is for you.
Netball WA Appoints 303 MullenLowe As Brand Strategy partner
Netball WA appoints 303 MullenLowe for its brand strategy. Any mention of Gina also now strictly forbidden.