10 minutes with Tay Guan Hin
Each week Campaign Brief Asia is going to sit down with a prominent creative talent from our region and getting to know them better. First up in this regular “10 Minutes With” column is Tay Guan Hin, Regional Executive Creative Director at JWT Asia.
What did you do before getting into advertising?
Working as a Tank Mechanic in the army.
How did you first get into advertising?
I took part in the first Los Angeles Student Competition while studying in Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Won the Best of Show.
Who gave you your first big break?
One of the judges in the student competition hired me immediately. She was Jean Craig. The copywriter who came up with the famous tagline for Sunkist orange: “You have our word on it”. She also happens to be the president of the agency – Kresser/Craig.
Your career highlight to date?
Winning network of the year for JWT twice in a row at Adfest (2008 & 2009).
Your two best ads/campaigns that you have been involved with?
1) Phillips “Monsters” – Leo Burnett, Singapore
‘Banishes monsters from under the bed’ came straight from the Philips’s website (you gotta love research). I hadn’t seen a lighting ad that visually showed a monster, and it seemed like we had stumbled onto something fresh. Together with Jon Loke and Victor Ng, we pursued the idea of monsters being expelled by bright lights and driven from their homes till they became homeless.
2) Woodsvale Condominium “Blueprint” – Saatchi and Saatchi, Singapore
It’s every creative team’s nightmare to work on property ads. So it’s refreshing to be given the opportunity to break out of the mould. The challenge was to find interesting personalities that could tell a humorous story through floor plans. We wanted to achieve the authentic look of original blueprints, but getting one proved to be difficult, as computers are the norm these days. We even had to hire a real architect to hand write the lines. (I really liked the hairdresser’s floor plan – which featured many closets – but it never ran.)
Is there an ad that makes you green with envy?
As thousand of jobs are shed daily…one b & w classified ad caught my eye. The headline reads: “THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD”. What a wonderful way to go against the flow of current situation by creating a job everyone wants. And who doesn’t want to earn $150,000 for 6 months to be an island caretaker. The thought of using the chosen person to blog their experience living in the islands of Great Barrier Reef is such a unique way to sell tourism. The amount of global PR generated is phenomenal. View it here.
Do you have a ‘worst mistake’ or a most embarrassing moment in your advertising career to date?
During a speech for Ad Congress in Subic, I did some magic tricks. In one of my performances, I made red balls disappear inside a cup. And said; “Now I have no balls” with a straight face. The crowed laughed. Took me a whole minute to realize why it was so funny.
Is there a person you have enjoyed working with the most? (Not someone you currently work with)
One of the most creative people I know doesn’t even work in the creative department. She’s Emma Sani. My ex-PA. She’s pretty creative when it comes to my expenses. And keeping my insane life sane!
The most interesting, inspiring or funniest person you have ever met or worked with?
Nobody is more interesting than Linda Locke. We were together, once in Saatchi and Saatchi and later in Leo Burnett. Working with her is challenging, as I have to keep up with the way she thinks. She has so many life stories that I can’t help but learn from her experience.
What’s your favourite leisure activity outside of advertising?
Fishing with my sons Ryan and Oliver. Mindless channel surfing.
Favourite holiday destination?
Mammoth Lakes in California. Been there a couple of time skiing. Most recently rented a cabin in the Tamarack Lodge and Resort just outside the Twin Lakes. Love being next to nature.
Favourite hotels?
Alila Cha-am in Hua Hin,Thailand. One of the few boutique hotels that looks absolutely stunning the moment you enter it’s premise. A rare find. All the trimmings of a swanky minimalist room complete with waterfall showers and home theaters with Apple TVs.
Tell me something about yourself that not many people would know.
Before returning to Singapore I traveled to Russia, Vladivostok, to teach English for 3 months. It was the largest port city on the Pacific Ocean. Stayed with a Russian family. This happened just two years after the fall of communism, so it was interesting to see how I was accepted from the outside.
6 Comments
nice one kim/guan.
hope this’ll be a regular feature, very interesting.
ps- the blog seems to take forever to load. much longer than cb oz.
“Now I have no balls”. Hilarious Guan.
Great idea, but the questions are so vanilla. Lets have some ‘Hard Talk’ type stuff, its the Internet after all.
nah, i like it light.
enough about everyone’s opinion on scam.
Agree, no questions on scam or it wouldn’t be fair.
But in times like these everyone needs and looks to top leadership for inspiration, not which boutique hotel they blow their millions on while others get retrenched.
It would be great to hear some views on management styles, client interactions, great pitch stories, how to make sure all offices do great work etc….stuff that keeps us focussed on what matters most in the months ahead…..our business.
Call me semi-anonymous. Name is Chuck. I worked with Guan for a few years early in his career. Guan was and is super nice and talented. It’s not surprising he has done so well. What is surprising is that he failed to mention me when asked who his favorite person to work with was. However, he did suffer a nasty snowboarding fall at Big Bear before his return to SIngapore which may have contributed to some memory loss. Incredibly specific memory loss. Yes, I’m certain this is the case.