Kartik Iyer: Interview

Born in 1975 Chennai. Spent 8 years growing up in Africa. Returned to Chennai in 1985. Learnt to play the mridangam for 3 years. Acted in 27 full fledged theatre productions. Joined advertising in Dec 1995 as an intern. Did six years between Chennai Bangalore learning to be a copywriter. Worked in Y&R Dubai for 3 years from 2001-2004. Worked in Ogilvy Bangalore for 3 years. Started Happy in 2007 with Praveen Das. Love movies, music, design and pop art. Moonlight as a stand up comedian as The HigherIyer Show.


Why are you into Advertising?

Cos it’s the only place you get to use your creative muscles with every medium that’s exists. I also get bored easily, so it helps to keep focusing on different brands with different needs. But I didn’t know any of this when I started my career. Actually I loved commercials and asked someone who ‘thought’ of them. Someone said the agency and I decided I would learn to be a copywriter. It took me 5 years to realize what I actually wanted to do was direct ad films. Hopefully I’ll get there some day.


Did you attend school for fine art or design or Communications?

Did my bachelors in visual communications at Loyola College, Chennai (1993-1996)
Tell us about your recent work campaign?
The most popular is the Flipkart – No kidding. No worries. – campaign. Am particularly proud of it cos it was good advertising packed with the perfect dash of creative punch. It was not only great fun working with kids on the campaign. It resulted in 800% growth for the clients business. Add to that, that it was rated among the top 5 recalled campaigns of 2011.


Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up?

Walt Disney. Bill Cosby. Pink Floyd. Richard Pryor. Al Pacino. Quinten Tarantino. Steve Jobs.


Who was the most influential personality on your career in Advertising?
Shahir Zag. He continues to influence me even today.


Where do you get your inspiration from?
Music. Movies. Video Games. Typography. Fashion. Stand up comedy. Life.

Do you have any kind of a program to nurture and train young talent?

While we try to meet once in six months to work as a group and nuture team building, I don’t think we have a structured program to impart. We have a culture that we try to live by and people pick up from that.

Tell us something about the ‘Happy’ Environment.
Its a high energy zone. Some people feel naturally drawn to this energy and tend to become part of it exuding their own into the environment. For some its over bearing, and they leave. We have people from very different backgrounds. The love for all things cool and awesome brings us together for sure. The power of appreciation, sigh.

Tell us about your biggest challenge as the Creative Director of Happy…
Defining that role is the biggest challenge.

Tell us about your 1st work as a creative director in the field of advertising.
The A R Rahman campaign for worldspace satellite radio, done at Ogilvy & Mather in 2006. Technically I was only ACD then, but I would say that was my first role as a CD from being there and seeing the campaign through from conception to release.

Pick and tell us about one of all your past campaigns, your personal favourite…
The Flipkart – No kidding. No worries. campaign and the Lee Never Wasted bag design from the recent past.
What do you think of the state of Print advertising right now. At least here in India, the released work is most often too sad?

One can say unreasonable cost of print media has contributed to this. No budget for production – so headline and clipart (read as graphic elements). Add to this a large percentage of unimaginative people in our industry.

Do you think brands who’s advertising wins awards, do well in the market?

For sure. The biggest ideas that win awards, in the biggest award shows are all real work. And that’s how they become the biggest brands.

What advice do you have for aspiring creative professionals?

Only now you have the energy to work hard and party harder. Make sure you work hard, too.

Who would you like to take out for dinner?

Add the-hottest-actress-in-your-head-name here. Hey we like the same girl. Awesome! High five.
What’s on your iPod?
All kinds of music.

Mac or PC?
Its like asking someone to choose between a bandra boy and Priyanka Chopra. But in this case – Mac.