Meeting Conchita and other stories
A week in the life of an English Creative Director in Amsterdam
By Graham Sturt
Creative Director at VBAT
Summer 2016
Monday
The past weekend is all too quickly over and almost before I know it I find myself once again completing a fast early morning cycle ride from my home to our office situated in an old bicycle factory in the Schinkel area of Amsterdam.
An early riser, I’m often to be found behind my desk at 7:45 each week day morning. I find this quiet time invaluable in allowing me to catch up with correspondence, plan the working day ahead and to read design related blogs and news. I like to think of it as the calm before the storm.
After a quick project catch-up via Lync with Vasco, a talented creative who works remotely with us from Barcelona, I’m back on my vanmoof again to meet with Gert Dumbar at the Stedelijk Museum. I first met with Gert back in May as part of a series of interviews I’ve held over the last year with Dutch Design Heroes. Now I’m close to finalizing the transcript of this interview we meet to add in his own comments and any last corrections. As a big fan of his work interviewing Gert was an honour and has greatly increased my already strong appreciation of graphic design created here in the Netherlands. Over the coming months all of the interviews I’ve undertaken with Wim Crouwel, Gert Dumbar, Jacques Koeweiden, Hans Bockting, Jan van Toorn, Ben Bos, Gerard Hadders and Irma Boom will be published on our blog soon. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed putting them together.
On my journey back to VBAT I’m proud to see the branded tram we created for EuroPride stopping in front of the Royal Concertgebouw building on Museumplein. With it’s highly colourful ‘loud and proud’ graphics it sits comfortably in front of the hot pink branding of another VBAT project — Robeco Summer Nights — who’s visual identity currently adorns the Concertgebouw’s façade. Seeing our Robeco Summer Nights designs reminds me I’m attending a concert by legendary Detroit Techno DJ, Jeff Mills, there later in the week. As a fan of Jeff Mills I’m really curious to witness his own classical interpretation of Techno.
In June this year VBAT merged with dBOD bringing, along with 35 more people, a new energy and dynamic to the agency. With the meeting of two creative cultures comes the ongoing challenge of turning integration into positive transformation.
One of the many ways we’ve been trying to do this is by taking our creatives out of their comfort zone to get to know each other. Today was an opportunity to do just that when we left the VBAT building to go, as a group, on a typographic bike tour around the city. This Creative Excursion, led by renowned type designer David Quay and organized by VBAT creative Anthony Ford, explored the hidden typographic gems adorning many of the cities historic buildings. Conducted with much good humour the evening was a success and I believe we all got to know each other a little better. Ending with drinks and dinner I believe we moved another step closer towards that goal of transformation.
Tuesday –
Early on Tuesday morning I meet with the talented photographer Marcus Köppen to brief him on creating shots of some of our people.
Having worked together with Marcus on several assignments the conversation is relatively easy with great results guaranteed.
I leave him to join an evaluation by the Heineken team who have just completed a key project for the Rio Olympics. Erik Wadman, Design Director of the team describes the project as follows:
Olympic Games Evaluation
“Rio 2016. This year’s most prestigious sporting event. Team NL went to Rio with high expectations, the ambition to surprise and, most of all, to celebrate unique athletic moments that will remain in our memories for a long time to come.
It’s easy to forget how much energy and preparation goes into making a modern-day Olympics successful. Not just for the athletes, but also for the governing bodies and sponsors.
Heineken has been a long-time supporter of Team NL fans everywhere. This year their support was most visible in the Heineken House in Rio, but also in shelf presence in The Netherlands during the Games. During this year’s Olympics, for example, we transformed Heineken’s retail packaging from green to orange. In doing this, we wanted to underscore Heineken’s support for Team NL’s fans.
Today, we quickly evaluated the Heineken Olympic Games packaging project’s shelf presence during the two-week event.
From the beginning, the challenge was clear: create a clear Heineken shelf presence that instantaneously communicates Heineken’s support for Team NL. Additionally, we wanted to make clear that with each purchase Team NL fans could win a trip to the Olympic Games.
Looking back, we can proudly say we succeeded in both cases. And now that ’Orange Fever’ is over, it is time to re-embrace Heineken green.”
Throughout the year VBAT actively encourages design students from the Netherlands and beyond to join us for design internships. In fact at any given time we have three to four talented young interns with us. Over the last three years we’ve been inundated with applications for internships, primarily driven by the tireless activities we carry out under our VBAT Meet Market label. This morning we have two new faces starting at the agency — Craig, a recent graduate of Leeds Beckett University in the UK and Eva, a promising packaging design student from Nimeto in Utrecht. I look forward to giving them both a memorable taste of life in the industry which will in turn get them off to the right start as creative professionals of the future.
After work I spend the evening with a handful of colleagues as guests of Robeco Summer Nights to enjoy the Jeff Mills ‘Planets’ recital at the Royal Concertgebouw. As an entry level consumer of classical music the mix of techno inspired themes translated through analogue orchestral instruments with a layer of digital beats and samples provided by Mills is something I found both mesmerizing and magical. A special experience.
Wednesday –
In the morning we received the ‘making of’ film from the recent breakout session we held at this years What Design Can Do festival. This year was the third time we got involved in the event and I think we surpassed ourselves. Working with the theme of ‘What Design Can Do For Music’ we invited two creative friends of VBAT — Composer Joep Beving and Director Marcus Lyall — to collaborate with us on the concept for the breakout session. The end result was a workshop whereby 30 lucky WDCD delegates used the medium of 16mm film stock to draw, scratch and paint onto to create a short film for one of Joep’s tracks, ‘Zoetrope’. Created in a few short hours on Thursday, the finished film was then projected on the main stage of the Muziekgebouw the following day while Joep played his hauntingly beautiful composition.
In amongst a number of reviews and calls through the day I catch up with one of our interns, Tijs, in the afternoon to see his progress on creating the graphics for the LoveBoats event which we will hold on Thursday evening as part of this years Europride. To allow people from all over the world to take part virtually in Europride’s Canal Parade we designed a mini-site whereby they could create their own personalized paper boat online. To further bring this activation to life we will also set up a physical booth on the Nieuwemarkt to allow passers by the opportunity to create a boat and float it on a mini version of an Amsterdam canal.
Here Tijs explains a little behind the scenes of the making of our Europride Loveboats event:
I was lucky enough to be raised in a country that openly accepts the LGBT community. On top of that my parents raised me with ideals that ultimately sexual orientation isn’t an issue. You can imagine my frustration then when I learnt this was not the case in some other parts of the world. When I was given the chance to help out with the event I felt honoured to be able to contribute and highly engaged with Europride. The concept of the Loveboat event was already there, although there were still a lot of practical challenges to tackle. Where were we going to float the paper boats? What does an event like this require? What will catch the attention of people passing by? As a creative intern I’m not experienced in organising events and had no idea of the vastness of such a project. Communication was key, and even though we had some obstacles to overcome, we were blessed to be a fast thinking, well collaborating and motivated team. I really enjoyed the brainstorm sessions where we managed to merge our ideas into one solid concept. One of the most exciting moments for me I’m sure will be when we drive the van to the event location at Nieuwmarkt. I think we will all be nervous, pumped with adrenaline and with one big question in our heads — “Will it be a success?”
Thursday –
Before work it’s my turn to walk our wonderful (but stubborn) little teckel called Herman. As I walk him around our neighbourhood I’m thankful it hasn’t rained overnight as he has an annoying habit of refusing to walk in the wet.
On arrival at VBAT I sit with Saskia, one of our Design Directors based in VBAT’s retail team. While we catch up she shows me the new magazine we have just completed for our longstanding client de Bijenkorf.
In her own words Saskia shares her own experience of being part of this team:
“Being part of the Retail team at VBAT is the best.
It’s where all the disciplines come together. Having worked at VBAT for a long time I’ve experienced many different design challenges. In recent times I’ve immersed myself in VBAT’s Retail discipline, thinking about different aspects of a total experience where people interact with brands.
Sometimes a Retail project starts with an Identity question which may develop into a total store concept including packaging and communication. Another aspect that I like very much is the timeline. It’s an area where trends and changes quickly follow each other to keep distance from the competition. Often that’s hard work with internet led retailers breathing down your neck at the end of an economic crisis.
At VBAT we have no typical retail clients and we tend to answer many different kinds of retail questions. Working for Jumbo Foodmarkt, for instance, is completely different to de Bijenkorf. Instead of developing store concepts for de Bijenkorf we are more involved in the development and ambition of the brand and it’s communication.
Recently we were asked to develop a new fashion guide / magazine for de Bijenkorf. A magazine to inspire it’s customers, by a leader in the market with a vision on fashion and style. Although a premium publication we wanted it to be accessible and aspirational at the same time. The magazine has a strong contemporary grid and new typography with room to play for different photography styles allowing it to keep up with each season’s trends. I love it!”
In the late afternoon I have a Skype catch up with Rodolfo, our creative in VBAT’s Mexico City office. It’s good to speak with him as I enjoy hearing about the projects he’s involved with in Latin America. Often the way of working there is different to what we, as Western Europeans, are used to and it’s essential we remain in tune with our many cultural differences. Fortunately with 11 nationalities within the creative community at VBAT we benefit from an incredibly rich cultural mix. It’s something to be proud of and that usually always has a positive impact on our work.
Rodolfo on life in Mexico City –
“Working at the VBAT office in Mexico City is a constantly changing experience. My role as a designer requires a high level of flexibility and adaptation as I can find myself working on branding assignments, product and packaging and even retail design projects. For the first time this week I took part in, and was able to help plan, a workshop for a new client. This workshop, called a Brand Navigator, has been developed by VBAT to uncover the strategic pillars of a brand to aid us to design and communicate its essence more effectively. What was particularly interesting was to see how the CEO and partners got so involved in the dynamics of the workshop, to discover what they thought their brand meant and get excited about it. It was so satisfying to see them learn how little things like imagining you’re somebody else can reveal so much about your experience with a brand. It was an intense day but ultimately a great learning experience.”
In the early evening we pitch up our booth on Amsterdam’s historic Nieuwmarkt for the Loveboats event.
In the words of our creative intern Sean here’s how it went:
Sean from the LoveBoat event-
“On Thursday evening we hosted the Loveboats event at the NieuweMarkt in Amsterdam. Beforehand I had no idea what to expect and if there would be a lot of interest from the public Thankfully though it turned out to be such a fun event! Over the course of the evening there was a lot of interest in the meaning behind the boats and many requests to have them being made. One particular gay couple quietly told me that they just got married but that they could not celebrate this in their home country. It felt like an honour having made their boat with a picture of them and their quote “Just married.. and happy”. It was their way of letting “the world” know. The whole event reminded me that the smallest of things (even paper boats) can mean so much. The event was great and the response on the night to our little stand was impressive!”
Friday –
For the past four years we’ve been working closely with the organization behind Amsterdam Gay Pride, an event close to all of our hearts. Each year we’ve been involved we’ve seen it grow in size to the point where it is now recognized as one of the largest Pride events globally. This Summer Amsterdam hosts Europride and we’ve been hard at work to ensure the branding of this momentous event is even bigger and better. As part of our own Europride activities we rather ambitiously decided, back in May, to invite one of their ambassadors, Conchita Wurst, into VBAT to give a C-Word Talk to the company. On finally receiving a ‘yes’ from Conchita’s management we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to pull together this special mini event. As part of the agreement I will interview Conchita in front of our audience and I spend part of the day preparing my questions and guiding some of the creatives in making a special Europride branded stage.
In the middle of the day I meet with talented photographer Sanne Glasbergen for a portfolio viewing as part of the Fontanel Dutch Design Talents initiative. Sanne’s work, primarily focused on fashion photography, is a real pleasure to see and I wish her every success in the first steps of her career in the industry.
The rest of the day I spend on work and reviews until it is time for Conchita’s C-Word Talk. Arriving surprisingly early with her entourage Conchita proves to be a wonderfully engaging, funny and warm character. Any initial nerves I had in the lead up to the event are quickly dispersed and the interview, in front of an audience of around 70, proves to be a big success.
Following the interview my partner, Lucy, and I make a fast getaway on our beloved Vespa to have dinner in the picturesque Amsterdam North village of Durgerdam. As it’s a lovely summer’s evening we happily sit on the waters edge and look across at the city of Amsterdam in the distance. After nearly 10 years of living in this beautiful city it’s refreshing to know we can still explore and discover wonderful new places here.
Saturday –
Early on Saturday morning I’m at Schiphol Airport to meet my two teenage nieces as they arrive for their annual Summer visit. For myself and my partner the next week will be a fun filled rollercoaster starting later today when we attend the spectacular Europride Canal Parade event on the Amstel river.
Here is a description of the event by VBAT Creative Renata, herself no stranger to carnival vibes due to her Brazilian roots.
Renata from Saturday –
“On Saturday our team attended the Europride Canal Parade to check out the great identity work we developed, and of course to have some fun! Speaking for the team that took part in the project, I have to say it always feels great to see your creations come alive. We don’t always get the opportunity to collaborate with such meaningful and important causes which makes experiencing this huge event even more special. As a Brazilian, living for some time in the Netherlands, I have to say the Canal Parade never ceases to surprise and amaze me. Every year is different with this one being even bigger, better, and sunnier! What really stood out was the way that so many big Dutch companies and global brands took part to show their acceptance and support for the LGBT community. Of course this would be feel quite corporate without the necessary sprinkling on top of some essential Europride glam, style and talent. To top it all off we also got to finally see the ‘Tramsexual’ boat we also designed for GVB. Both fierce and kinky!”
Renata Szlachta — Creative, VBAT
Sunday –
The last event in our calendar for the week is the closing party of Europride, held on Rembrandtsplein in the city centre. Essentially an open air concert the afternoon moves easily into a sultry Amsterdam Summer evening via a rotating selection of entertainment artists from the classic Anita Meijer to the outstanding closing performance by Conchita Wurst. The atmosphere is electric — a totally fitting end to the whole Europride fortnight.
This story has been published in a shorter version on Fontanel.
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written by Graham Sturt
Creative Director at VBAT
edited by Connie Fluhme
PR at VBAT
