Ad Chat: Bo Hellberg - ECD at Brave and Billington Cartmell

Next in the hot seat is Bo Hellberg, who like a modern Swedish viking has gone on expeditions all around the world. Hellberg has just accepted the position as ECD at Brave and Billington Cartmell, he spent two years at Megalo & Company in France. Previously he was creative director at DDB and the executive creative director of Tribal DDB, also in Paris, and before that you could find him in the team behind the first 'Campaign for Real Beauty' for Dove when he was creative director at Ogilvy London.

db: What was the trigger that lead you into advertising?

Hellberg: There was no particular event or epiphany (or trauma) as far as I remember. It was more a synthesis. I was ok a writing but didn’t have the patience to become a proper author. I’d lose interest after a couple of weeks. And I had a few too many ideas for my own good. And I held myself in a fantastically high regard…if anything, it would have been a random application to the Swedish school Berghs that perhaps was the trigger.

db: OK Go is an interesting band, their videos are so creative. I felt that when they did the Needing/Getting Needing/Wanting music video with the Chevy car-stunt, they had become the first band whose videos were truly a channel, ripe for sponsorship. Unlike Lady Gagas "casino.com" markers and various hip-hop artists constant playing with cellphones. Is this where branded content is heading?

Hellberg: I hope so. Branded content, or branded entertainment, isn’t as well defined as other categories. Which was pretty obvious when I judged the OneShow this year. More to your point though, the trick with branded content (like with everything else) is to make it your own. The way OK GO and some other bands do.
But whichever way, it’s the band that the people choose to watch or follow. Not the brand. And Chevy got free ride, pardon the pun. But I think there are better and bigger examples where the content or entertainment is the entry point - and the brand or product still can be integrated. Like PJ’s ‘’Beauty Inside’, which is one of my favourite pieces this year.

db: You've worked in Sweden, Australia and now France, and I'm fully aware of the advertising world being a planet all it's own, in a sense. But markets are different, and I see a distinct different in advertising styles between these countries. What have you learned from each market that you think enriches advertising for all?

Hellberg: Oh God. My memory is like sieve, I don’t remember shit. I think I’ve picked up stuff, ways of working, and appreciations for different kinds of aesthetics, stories and expressions.

So, first of all, it’s all good, i.e. no country, no culture is overall better. But. I do find that the stereotypes are true, to a large extent.

And of course what makes those sparks of connection between the people and the brand. That’s pretty much it. The rest is just a question of what the client feels more comfortable with; staying in a safe place or if they want to see what’s out there.

db: When it comes to teaching the new crop of students the business and showing them the ropes, there are a few new tactics being applied these days. Internships and placements aren't what they used to be, and students are packaging and selling themselves in more elaborate ways than ever. I'm sure you have come in contact with the best and worst of them, so if you don't mind could you briefly describe the best idea and the worst?

Hellberg: Well, it’s gone a bit weird. It used to be that you had to beg to get your portfolio in front of a Creative Director, to get a book crit. And then go away and do it all over again.
Now it’s gone a bit – oh, “I’ll just do a fake case study and post it on Vimeo about rehousing homeless ferrets“ #hyperisland.
Another thing, if you really have time to put together a great DM, you have too much time on your hands – which you should use to write, design, code, smoke while you come up with ideas...
I had couple of creative in Paris sending me the most elaborate pieces of art work to my office. Unfortunately, their CD-DM was the best work in their entire portfolio.

Keith Ruggiero Synth loving composer and sound designer at "Sounds Red"
Jill Spradley Associate Creative Director at 160over90
Brian Bronaugh President at Mullen, Pittsburgh, PA
Bo Hellberg, Swedish ECD in France, at Brave and Billington Cartmell, Paris
Jane Goldman Creative Director/Copywriter & Strategist, Boston, MA
Jonah Otieno - Executive Creative Director 5ive Ltd, Nairobi
Anne-Cécile Tauleigne ECD at JWT Paris
Esther Clerehan, Headhunter, Sydney, Australia
Ad chat: Manuel Bordé Creative copy at BBDO Dubai
Rance Randle Art Director at TBWA\Chiat\Day\LA
Åsk 'Dabitch' Wäppling the force behind Adland
Dave Trott creative mischief chief
Arnie DiGeorge Executive Creative Director of RR Partners
Andy Kinsella Innovation Director at Glue Isobar
Koert Bakker Director of Strategy at Victor & Spoils
Evan Brown, Sr. Copywriter at TBWA\Chiat\Day
Dena Walker, Digital Strategist at Irish International in Dublin, Ireland
Bernie Watt, copywriter at Make, in Sydney, Australia
Ron Smrczek, Executive Creative Director of TAXI Europe
Vincent Vella, Creative Director - Grey Paris, Euro RSCG and Publicis.
Gideon Amichay, Creative Chairman of Shalmor Avnon Amichay Y&R Tel Aviv
Richard Tseng, Freelance Copywriter at CP+B
Claudiu Florea, Managing Partner - Wunderkid, Romania
Snorre Martinsen creative at Saatchi & Saatchi Oslo
Laura Jordan Bambach, Executive Creative Director LBi
Simon White Creative Lead from Rapp, London
Richard Gorodecky Executive Creative Director at Amsterdam Worldwide
Ray Page Creative Director at Tribal DDB
Adam Pierno of Off Madison Ave.
Edward Boches of Mullen
Dirk Singer of Rabbit, UK
Gareth Kay of Goodby, Silverstein and Partners
Tim Brunelle of Hello Viking
Rob Schwartz of TBWA\Chiat\Day